Kiran Bedi

Kiran Bedi has been an IPS officer, a social activist, and a tennis player. She was born in Amritsar, Punjab, on 9 June 1949 and is the second child of her parents. After completing her senior secondary schooling, she studied English literature and graduated from Government College for Women, Amritsar, in 1968. 

In 1970, Bedi completed her post-graduation in political science from Punjab University, Chandigarh. Following that, she started working as a lecturer at Khalsa College, Amritsar. She earned a B.Law and doctorate of philosophy in 1988 and 1993, respectively. During this time, she was also serving in the Indian Police Services. Very evidently, the profession of Kiran Bedi has been very diverse. 

The Profession of Kiran Bedi

Tennis Player

Kiran Bedi started playing tennis when she was just nine years old. Her first national-level tournament was the national junior lawn tennis in Delhi in 1964. However, she didn’t win the game in early attempts, but she won the tournament in 1966. After that, she went on to win numerous tournaments in tennis and played until the age of 30. 

Indian Police Services

In 1975, Kiran Bedi joined the Indian Police Services. She is the first woman in India to join the officer ranks of the Indian Police Service. She was greatly inspired by the senior civil servants she had met in Amritsar and had started training for civil services in 1972 at the National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie. She is the first female IPS officer in India. 

Kiran Bedi’s first posting was in Chanakyapuri, Delhi, in 1975. Chanakyapuri Subdivision of Delhi is one of the most high-profile areas of India as it includes the parliament, foreign embassies, and residence of the PM and President of India. The area didn’t have records of too many thefts or burglaries, but political and apolitical protests were usual. Aside from the peaceful protests, sometimes the demonstrations became violent. 

One of the most outrageous events that took place in the area was between Nirankari and Akali Sikhs on 15 November 1978. Groups of 700 to 800 Nirankari and Akali Sikhs clashed while protesting. Kiran Bedi was awarded the President’s Police Medal in 1980 for handling the situation well.

In 1981, Kiran Bedi got her first promotion and was transferred to the traffic department as Director Commissioner of Police (DCP). She handled the traffic remarkably well during the construction of 19 stadiums for the Asian Games in 1982. Additionally, she replaced challan with spot fines. 

Kiran Bedi is famous for her attitude toward equality. She never discriminated between higher and lower classes of society. One of the very renowned incidents of her career was when her officer, Nirmal Singh, towed an ambassador belonging to the PMO. She encouraged and supported the officer as the car was parked incorrectly. 

Political Career

Kiran Bedi’s career as a politician started after breaking her bond with Kejriwal when he founded the Aam Aadmi Party. Moreover, Kiran Bedi openly supported Narendra Modi during the 2014 general elections. After that, Kiran Bedi contested the Delhi Assembly Election of 2015 as BJP’s face for chief minister. However, she lost the Krishna Nagar Constituency to SK Bagga, the candidate from AAP. 

Earlier next year, on 22 May 2016, Kiran Bedi became the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. She initiated several reformations and promoted the TEA Mantra for Puducherry, which stands for Trust, Empowerment, and Accountability. 

Books by Kiran Bedi

Kiran Bedi has also authored several books in her diverse career. Below are the names of the books she has written.

•  Demand for Swaraj published in 1985
•  It’s Always Possible: One Woman’s Transformation of Tihar Prison, published in 2006
• As I See, published in 2003
•  What Went Wrong? And Continues published in 2005
• Galti Kiski published in 2006
• Yeh Sambhav Hai published in 2006
•  Empowering Women, published in 2008

Awards Granted to Kiran Bedi

• Cadet Officer Award, 1968
•  President’s Police Award, 1979
• Asia Region Award, 1991
• Ramon Magsaysay Award, 1994
•  Fr Maschio Humanitarian Award,1995
• Lion of the Year,1995
•  Joseph Beuys Prize,1997
• Pride of India,1999
•  Morrison Tom Gitchoff Award,2001
• United Nations Medal, 2004
• Mother Teresa Memorial National Award for Social Justice, 2005
•  Kumarappa-Reckless Award, 2008

Conclusion

Kiran Bedi has not only served as an IPS  officer but a social activist and a tennis player. She is the first woman in India to join the officer ranks of the Indian Police Service and has always pushed the cause of women’s empowerment in the country. Kiran Bedi’s political career started when she became the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. She initiated several reforms in the territory, which were both praised and criticised.