Kiran Bedi (June 9, 1949) is a former Indian Police Service officer and is currently a social activist. Her work in the Indian Police Service has been a beacon of light for women in the service, a sector largely dominated by men. Her outstanding work for India and dedication to social causes has made her a force to reckon with in both government and non-government arenas. She is a tennis enthusiast and has competed and won multiple tennis championships around India.
Kiran Bedi Life
Kiran was born in Amritsar, Punjab, to Prakash and Prem Peshawaria and is the second of three daughters. Growing up, Kiran was part of the National Cadet Corps while attending Sacred Heart Convent in Amritsar. After graduating with a Bachelors degree in English, she completed her MA in Political Science, went on to take the Indian Administrative Service’s test and finally joined the police task force.
Some of her work details include Chief of Traffic Police in Delhi during the Asian Games in 1982. During this time Bedi allegedly towed the car of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for a traffic violation after which the media dubbed her ‘Crane Bedi’. Kiran has worked extensively to prevent drug trafficking as the General Director of Narcotics Control Bureau which eventually led to her Ph. D in drug abuse and domestic violence.
When she was General of Prisons, she instituted courses in The Art of Living, yoga, vipasana and literacy in addition to (drug) detoxification as part of prison reform. For her work in the Tihar jail she won the Ramon Magsaysay Award and was given the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship to write a book about it.
Kiran Bedi retired from government service in 2007 but continued her work as a social activist to promote multiple causes. She began with the Navjyot India Foundation as a de-addiction and rehabilitation program which has since diversified into women’s literacy. Her India Vision Foundation is aimed towards reform within the Indian police force, prison system, and rural community development. In 2011, Kiran Bedi rallied behind the Jan Lokpal Bill alongside Anna Hazare against corruption within the political systems of India.
Project
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Hint: in India it is called the Indian Administrative Service or IAS.
Short biographies of the world’s top social reformers, go to: https://mocomi.com/learn/culture/famous-people/social/