Kiran Bedi

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Kiran Bedi - The First IPS Women Police Officer

Kiran Bedi was born on June 9, 1949. Her father Prakash Lal Peshawaria, a landlord in Punjab was determined to educate his four daughters at a time when women were largely limited to doing household tasks.

While studying at the Sacred Heart Convent, Kiran joined the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and took up tennis, a game which her father used to play.

After school she went on to study Political Science at the Government College for Women, Amritsar. She loved the subject as she felt it taught her about her role as a citizen of the country.

Kiran excelled at sports particularly tennis. She won the inter-University women's team title and bagged the national title as well as the Asian title in tennis. Bedi says the game taught her the value of hard work, the importance of staying fit and built in her the qualities of fair play, team work, concentration, and the ability to give in that extra bit under stress.

Kiran fell in love with Brij Bedi a fellow student and married him in 1972. This was also the year when Kiran was selected for the Indian Police Service (IPS).

Not everyone loves this gutsy woman though. Kiran Bedi has been often criticized for being "media-hungry" and controversial. Often, she has been transferred out of offices for trying to turn things around. But despite these minor complaints, Kiran Bedi remains one of the most inspiring Indian public figures.


Did you know?

Kiran Bedi was the first woman police officer of the Indian Police Service. Spectators at the 1973 Republic Day Parade were amazed to see a lady at the head of the Police Contingent. The then Prime Minister, Mrs. lndira Gandhi was so impressed that she invited Kiran for breakfast with her the very next day.


Career Highlights

* In 1977, she put an end to the Akali-Nirankari Sikh riots at India Gate.

* 1979, as DCP (West Delhi), she broke up a 200-year-old illicit liquor trade.

* In 1981 as DCP (Traffic) she controlled traffic during the 1982 Asian Games efficiently. She didn't hesitate to tow away cars and once even challaned the Prime Minister's car for wrong parking near a car repair shop.


* In 1985, as DCP (headquarters) she ordered 1600 pending promotions to be made in a single day. Standing instructions were issued that if any file was not cleared within three days the person concerned would be called personally to explain the delay.

* In 1993, as the Inspector General of Asia's biggest jail - the Tihar jail (9100 inmates including 300 women) she turned the unlivable jail into an abode of education. Said Kiran while joining her posting at the jail, "I want to transform this jail into an Ashram within six months". She introduced many classes and programs for the inmates including those on basic education, meditation, yoga besides functions like mushairas, kavi sammelans, dramas and games, which involved the jail inmates. For her effort to humanize the Tihar jail she was honored with the 1994 Ramon Magsaysay Award.


Source: http://www.indiavisitinformation.com/indian-personality/Kiran-Bedi.shtml