Kiran Bedi was born on 9th June, 1949, in
Amritsar, Punjab. In 1972 she joined police services and became first Indian
woman IPS officer. At present she is a retired police IPS officer. Recently she
was seen hosting the popular TV series "Aap Ki Kachehri" ("Your
Court"), in which she was settling the real-life disputes between people.
Education
In 1968, Kiran Bedi did BA
degree from Government College of Women, Amritsar. After that she pursued
Master’s Degree in Political Science from Punjab University Chandigarh, and
graduated as topper in her batch in 1970. In 1988, she also obtained Bachelor
of Laws from Faculty of Law, University of Delhi. Later in 1993, she completed
her Ph.D in Social Sciences from Department of Social Sciences, Indian
Institute of Technology Delhi.
In May 2005, she was awarded with an honorary
degree of Doctor of Law in recognition of her “humanitarian approach to prison
reforms and policing”
Career
In 1970, Kiran Bedi started
her career as lecturer in Khalsa College for Women, Amritsar; but worked for
two years. And in 1972 she became first Indian Woman IPS officer, and continues
to serve the country with courage and strength. Kiran Bedi held the position as
Director General at the Bureau of Police Research and Development before she
voluntarily retired from the IPS in December 2007.
During her IPS duty, she
served in many toughest assignments ranging from New Delhi traffic postings,
Deputy Inspector General of Police in Mizoram and Advisor to the Lieutenant
Governor of Chandigarh. She also took the responsibility as Director General of
Narcotics Control Bureau, to a United Nations delegation, where she became the
Civilian Police Advisor in United Nations peacekeeping operations.
At Present
Now Kiran Bedi is a social
activist who has also founded 2 NGOs – The Navjyoti Delhi Police Foundation for
welfare and preventative policing in 1988 (at present known as ‘The Navjyoti
India Foundation’), and the India Vision Foundation for prison reformation,
drug abuse prevention and child welfare in 1994. In the recently concluded
General Elections of 2014, Kiran Bedi expressed her desire to serve country led
by Narendra Modi by offering herself as CM candidate of BJP. She plays an
important role in in the life of every Indian Women, and is perceived as a role
model, support for many women and many women IPS aspirants of our country.
Awards and Honors:
During her tenure she was
awarded with numerous trophies and honors. Some of the worth mentioning among
them are:
• Suryadatta National Award,
2007
• United Nations Medal, 2004
• Mother Teresa Award for
Social Justice, 2005
• Woman of the Year Award,
2002
• Ramon Magsaysay Award,
1994
• President’s Gallantry
Award, 1979
