Kiran Bedi is a famous Indian social activist and a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. She is now a national level politician supporting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She stood against Arvind Kejriwal in the position of Chief Minister of Delhi and was defeated by him. She is known for being the first woman to join the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1972, and was later posted as Director General, BPR&D (Bureau of Police Research and Development, Ministry of Home Affairs). Kiran Bedi retired from IPS position in December 2007 on voluntary retirement. During her service, she served a considerable period in the Inspector General Prisons of Tihar Jail from 1993 to 1995. "I Dare!" biography of Kiran Bedi by Parmesh Dangwal was published in the year 2004.
Early Life of Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi was born on 9th June 1949 in Amritsar, Punjab. She completed her schooling from the Sacred Heart Convent School, Amritsar, where she joined the National Cadet Corps (NCC). Later, she graduated in English (Hons.) followed by a Master`s degree in 1970. Kiran Bedi obtained the doctorate title through her Ph.D. in Social Sciences from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi and the topic of her research was "Drug Abuse and Domestic Violence".
Kiran Bedi was the winner of the Asian Lawn Tennis Championship in 1972, the Junior National Lawn Tennis Championship in 1966 and the All-India Interstate Women`s Lawn Tennis Championship in 1976; besides this she also won the all-Asian tennis champion, the Asian Ladies Title at the age of 22 years.
Career of Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi began her career in 1972 as a Lecturer in Political Science at Khalsa College for Women, Amritsar. In July 1972, Kiran Bedi joined the Indian Police Service. She served in a number of tough assignments starting from Traffic Commissioner of New Delhi, Deputy Inspector General of Police in rebellion prone Mizoram, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of Chandigarh, Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau and also on a United Nations deputation, where she was appointed as the Civilian Police. In her time, she was posted as the Sub-Divisional Police Officer at the Chanakyapuri Police Station in New Delhi. There she became the first woman in uniform to lead the all male contingent of the Delhi Police at the Republic Day Parade in 1975.
Kiran Bedi has been an influential voice in several decisions of the Indian Police Service, particularly in the segments of narcotics control, traffic management, and VIP security. She was last appointed as the Director General of India`s Bureau of Police Research and Development. On 27th November 2007, she wanted to take voluntarily retirement from the police force. On 25th December 2007, the Government of India relieved Bedi of her duties as Director General of the Bureau of Police Research and Development.
Kiran Bedi as a Social Reformer
Kiran Bedi founded two NGOs in India, namely Navjyoti for welfare and preventive policing in 1987 and India Vision Foundation for prison reforms that dealt with drug abuse prevention, child welfare in 1994. Later, Navjyoti became a motivation for other state police forces across the country.
Kiran was awarded with the Asia Region Award for work done by any government servant in the field of drug abuse prevention in the South Asian region. Simultaneously, Navjyoti received the National Award for its outstanding work. Both the awards were given by the International Organization of Good Templars (IOGT), a Norwegian organization for the year 1989-91. Navjyoti won the award again for the year 1992. Then it was awarded with the UN sponsored Serge Sotiroff Memorial Award for the year 1999 for its outstanding contributions in the field of international social reforming. From the beginning, Navjyoti succeeded in detoxifying around 12000 drug addicts from Delhi and the neighbouring states.
During her tenure as the Inspector General of Prisons, Tihar Jail (1993-1995), she established a number of reforms in the management of the prison, and initiated a number of actions such as detoxification programs, Vipassana Meditation, yoga asanas, negotiating of complaints by prisoners and literacy programs. India Vision Foundation was born with the receiving of the Ramon Magsaysay Award by her in the year 1994. It began its work inside the prison, by setting up a bread making unit within the prison, for the welfare of the inmates. The profits earned went to the Prisoner`s Welfare Fund.
After retirement Kiran Bedi launched online media on January 3, 2007. She aimed to help people through this website, whose complaints were not accepted by the local police. She also took the mass awareness programme against domestic violence through a TV series named "App Ki Kachheri" telecasted on Star Plus in the year 2009-2010. Kiran Bedi is also one of the prominent members of the "India Against Corruption" (IAC) along with Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal.
Books by Kiran Bedi
Some of the books of Kiran Bedi are "It`s Always Possible: One Woman`s Transformation of Tihar Prison"; "Demand for Swaraj: (1905–1930)"; "As I see"; "Empowering Women... As I See"; "Galti Kiski"; "What Went Wrong?.......And Continues"; "Yeha Sambhav Hai"; "Be the Change: Fighting Corruption"; "Himmat Hai" and others.
Films on Kiran Bedi
A nonfiction feature film on Kiran Bedi`s life named "Yes Madam, Sir" has been produced by Australian film maker, Megan Doneman. In 2006, Norwegian MPower Film & Media and film maker Oystein Rakkenes released another documentary on Bedi and her prison revolution in Tihar Central Jail, "In Gandhi`s Footsteps".
Political Career of Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi was BJP`s Chief Minister Candidate for the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections, in which Arvind Kejriwal was Aam Aadmi Party"s Chief Minister Candidate. Kiran Bedi lost the election from Krishna Nagar constituency to Aam Admi Party"s candidate SK Bagga by a margin of 2277 votes and Aam Admi Party came to power again with an absolute majority after one year.
Recognitions to Kiran Bedi
Recognitions to Kiran Bedi are as follows:
•Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship to write about the reforms done at Tihar Jail
•Honorary degree of Doctor of Law in May 2005
•Joseph Beuys Award (1997)
•President`s Gallantry Award (1979)
•Women of the Year Award (1980)
•Asia Region Award for Drug Prevention and Control (1991)
•Magsaysay Award (1994)
•Father Machismo Humanitarian Award (1995)
•Lion of the Year (1995)
•Mahila Shiromani Award (1995)
•Pride of India (1999)
•Mother Teresa Memorial National Award for Social Justice (2005)
•Star Parivar Award (2010)
•Bharatiya Manavata Vikas Puraskar (2011)
•United Nations Medal from the United Nations
•Nomura Award in the year 2013
•L"Oreal Paris Femina Women Award 2014
Personal Life of Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi married Brij Bedi in 1972. He was a former University Tennis Player, textile Engineer by Profession and a renowned Social Activist. In 1975, they had a daughter named Saina who is involved in Community Service.
