Happy birthday kiran bedi biography

First female Indian Police Service Officer (born )

Kiran BediPPMGPNBB (born 9 June ) is a one-time tennis player who became the first woman sheep India to join the officer ranks of high-mindedness Indian Police Service (IPS) in and was high-mindedness 24th Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry from 28 Hawthorn to 16 February ^[2][3] She remained in dwell in for 35 years before taking voluntary retirement mark out as Director General, Bureau of Police Research add-on Development.

As a teenager, Bedi was crowned righteousness national junior tennis champion in Between and , she won several titles at various national challenging state-level championships. After joining the IPS, Bedi served in Delhi, Goa, Chandigarh and Mizoram. She in operation her career as an Assistant Superintendent of The cops (ASP) in the Chanakyapuri area of Delhi, skull won the President's Police Medal in Next, she moved to West Delhi, where she brought jump a reduction in crimes against women. Subsequently, style a traffic police officer, she oversaw traffic part for the Asian Games in Delhi and decency Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Goa. Orang-utan Deputy Commissioner of Police of North Delhi, she launched a campaign against drug abuse, which evolved into the Navjyoti Delhi Police Foundation (renamed in a jiffy Navjyoti India Foundation in ).

In May , Bedi was posted to the Delhi Prisons monkey Inspector General (IG). She introduced several reforms be neck and neck Tihar Jail, which won her the Ramon Magsaysay Award in In , Bedi became the prime Indian and first woman to be appointed attitude of the United Nations Police and Police Doctor in the United Nations Department of Peace Heart. She resigned in , to focus on community activism and writing. She runs the India Perception Foundation. During –11, she hosted a court showAap Ki Kachehri. She was one of the characterless leaders of the Indian anti-corruption movement, and wedded conjugal the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in January She unsuccessfully contested the Delhi Assembly election as depiction party's Chief Minister candidate.

Early life and education

Kiran Peshawaria was born on 9 June in Amritsar, East Punjab, Dominion of India, into a Sanskrit business family. She is the second child living example Prakash Lal Peshawaria and Prem Lata (born Janak Arora).^[5] She has three sisters: Shashi, Reeta, arm Anu.^[6] Her great-great-grandfather Lala Hargobind had migrated cheat Peshawar to Amritsar, where he set up clever business. Bedi's upbringing was not very religious, on the contrary she was brought up in both Hindu nearby Sikh traditions (her grandmother was a Sikh, even if her other family members were Hindu). Prakash Lal helped with the family's textile business, and too played Tennis. Bedi's grandfather Muni Lal controlled greatness family business and gave an allowance to brew father. He cut this allowance when Bedi's superior sister Shashi was enrolled in the Sacred Give one`s word Convent School, Amritsar. Although the school was 16&#;km away from their home, Shashi's parents believed douse offered a better education than other schools. Muni Lal was opposed to his grandchild being literate in a Christian school. However, Prakash Lal apparent financial independence and enrolled all his daughters, with Kiran, in the same school.^[8] Bedi started congregate formal studies in , at the Sacred Absolutely Convent School in Amritsar. She participated in Secure Cadet Corps (NCC), among other extra-curricular activities. Smack of that time, Sacred Heart did not offer science; instead, it had a subject called "household", which was aimed at grooming girls into being travelling fair housewives. When she was in Class 9, Bedi joined Cambridge College, a private institute that offered science education and prepared her for matriculation check-up. By the time her former schoolmates at Consecrated Heart cleared Class 9, she cleared the Giant 10 (matriculation) exam. Bedi graduated in , tweak a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English, let alone Government College for Women at Amritsar. The precise year, she won the NCC Cadet Officer Stakes. In , she obtained a Master's degree imprison Political Science from Panjab University in Chandigarh.^[10]

From denomination , Bedi taught as a lecturer at Faith College for Women in Amritsar. She taught courses related to political science. Later, during her job in the Indian Police Service, she also due a Bachelors of Law degree from the License of Law, University of Delhi in and splendid Doctorate of Philosophy from the Indian Institute explain Technology - Delhi's Department of Humanities and Community Sciences in New Delhi in ^[6]

Tennis career

Inspired inured to her father, Bedi started playing tennis at magnanimity age of nine. As a teenage tennis actor, she cut her hair short as it interfered with her game.^[11] In , she played accumulate first tournament outside Amritsar, participating in the steady junior lawn tennis championship at Delhi Gymkhana. She lost in early rounds, but came back display win the trophy two years later, in ^[12] As the national champion, she was eligible mix entry to the Wimbledon junior championship, but was not nominated by the Indian administration.^[13]

Between and , Bedi won several tennis championships, including:

Bedi was also span part of the Indian team that beat Sri Lanka to win the Lionel Fonseka Memorial Confer in Colombo.^[19][20] She continued playing tennis until distinction age of thirty, when she started focusing feel her Indian Police Service career. In , she married fellow tennis player Brij Bedi; the a handful of had met on Service Club courts in Amritsar.^[21]

Indian Police Service Career

As a young woman, Bedi frequented the Service Club in Amritsar, where interaction meet senior civil servants inspired her to take down a public service career. On 16 July , Bedi started her police training at the Public Academy of Administration in Mussoorie. She was illustriousness only woman in a batch of 80 soldiers, and became the first woman IPS officer. Associate a 6-month foundation course, she underwent another 9 months of police training at Mount Abu break down Rajasthan, and further training with Punjab Police make real Based on a draw, she was allocated join the union territory cadre (now called AGMUT cliquey Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories cadre).

First posting in Delhi

Bedi's twig posting was to the Chandni Chowksubdivision of City in The same year, she became the culminating woman to lead the all-male contingent of interpretation Delhi Police at the Republic Day Parade increase ^[5] Her daughter Sukriti (later Saina) was home-grown in September

Chandni Chowk was an affluent element that included the Parliament building, fish markets, near the residences of the Prime Minister and leadership President. The crimes in the area were particularly limited to minor thefts, but political demonstrations (which sometimes turned violent) were a regular occurrence. Midst the s, there were many clashes between Nirankari and Akali Sikhs. On 3 December, a committee of Nirankaris held a congregation near India Research. A contingent of – Akalis organized a substantiation against them. DCP Bedi's platoon was deployed propose stop the protesters and prevent violence. As magnanimity protesters resorted to brick-batting, Bedi charged them accomplice a cane, although there was no tear propellent squad to support her unit. One of magnanimity demonstrators ran towards her with a naked brand, but she charged him as well as different demonstrators with a cane. Ultimately, her unit was able to disperse the demonstrators. For this magic, Bedi was awarded the President's Police Medal nurture Gallantry (), in October

In , Bedi was posted to Delhi's West District, where there were not enough officers to handle the high supply of criminal activity. To compensate, she started recruiting civilian volunteers. Each village in the district was night patrolled by six civilians led by intimation armed policeman. She enabled anonymous reporting of proletarian knowledge about crimes. She clamped down on black-market and the illicit liquor business to reduce crimes in the area. Bedi implemented an open dawn policy, which encouraged citizens to interact with remove. She implemented a "beat box" system: a find fault box was installed in each ward, and probity beat constables were instructed to have their snack near this box at a set time bathtub day. She regularly asked people if they knew about the beat constable assigned to their honour, and also walked with the constables to enlist their self-esteem. Within 3 months, there was adroit reduction in crimes. There was a drop soupзon cases related to "eve teasing" (sexual harassment forfeiture women) and wife beating. This gained her illustriousness goodwill of local women, who also volunteered their services to help fight crime in the area.^[15]

In October , Bedi was made DCP (Traffic). Rendering preparation for the Asian Games had caused freight snarls in the city. The construction of 19 sports stadiums and several flyovers had resulted rerouteing a number of blockades and diversions. Bedi pleased coordination between the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, City Electric Supply Undertaking and Delhi Development Authority. She clamped down on errant motorists with a bulky hand. She replaced challans (traffic tickets) with part of a set fines. Her team towed improperly parked vehicles pour down the drain six tow trucks ("cranes") for traffic control. That earned her the nickname "Crane Bedi". On 5 August , an Ambassador car (DHI ) alliance to Prime Minister Office was towed away dampen sub-inspector Nirmal Singh, as it was wrongly motionless outside the Yusufzai Market at Connaught Place. Singh was fully supported by Bedi and her upper Ashok Tandon.^[8]

To raise funds for traffic guidance funds, Bedi presented Asian Games traffic management plan rant a group of sponsors. The sponsors committed connect providing road safety and other educational material flora and fauna ₹35 lakh. She also bought traffic police jeeps for her officers; for the first time, combine wheelers were allocated to inspectors in the transport unit. After the Asian Games were over, she was given Asian Jyoti award for excellence. She refused to accept the award for herself a cappella, and recommended that it be given to all-inclusive traffic unit.

Bedi did not spare errant motorists the rich and influential section of society, which resulted in a powerful lobby against her. victims included the Director of the Central Chifferobe of Investigation and her own sister-in-law.^[25] After grandeur Asian Games were over, she was transferred familiar with Goa for 3 years. According to contemporary lies, Indira Gandhi's aides R. K. Dhawan and Yashpal Kapoor, as well as her yoga instructor Dhirendra Brahmachari (whom Bedi had personally fined for expert wrongly parked car), played a role in coffee break transfer.^[26] According to another theory, the loss worldly revenue resulting from her experiment of holding teaching for traffic violators (instead of fining them) was a major factor in her transfer.

Her 7-year-old colleen suffered from nephritic syndrome since the age use up 3, and was seriously ill at the relating to. Bedi requested the Home Ministry to not cling transfer her out of Delhi until her daughter's condition became stable. According to Bedi, she esoteric put herself in a "very vulnerable situation", ahead the only people who could help her were the ones "who had been offended by empty 'equal enforcement of law'".^[15] Her request was shed tears entertained, and she had to leave behind unlimited daughter, who was too ill to accompany turn one\'s back on.

Goa

Bedi arrived in Goa in March , restitution a three-year assignment. A few months after collect arrival, the Zuari Bridge was completed but turn on the waterworks opened to public; the state government wanted Indira Gandhi to come from Delhi and inaugurate display formally. However, they were not able to proximate confirmation from Indira Gandhi for several days. Say publicly public had to use ferries to transfer their vehicles across the Zuari River. One day, close to a patrol, Bedi noticed that there was excellent huge mass at the ferry boarding point. She drove to the bridge, removed the blockades swallow diverted the traffic waiting at ferry to nobility bridge. This unofficial inauguration angered many politicians. Acquit yourself November , Goa hosted the Commonwealth Heads be more or less Government Meet (CHOGM). Bedi involved NCC cadets encompass Goa for traffic regulation along the VIP routes.

Shortly after the CHOGM ended, her daughter's medical demand worsened. Bedi applied for leave, so that she could go to Delhi and take care custom her daughter. Until this point, she had bawl taken privilege leave in her decade-long career, add-on her leaves had always lapsed.^[25] Inspector General unconscious Police (IGP) Rajendra Mohan recommended her leave relevance, but the leave was not officially sanctioned shy the Goa government. Bedi left for Delhi notwithstanding, since she had enough leaves in her care about. Her daughter was hospitalised at AIIMS for solve week. After her daughter was discharged from medical centre, Bedi decided to stay in Delhi until cook recovery. Bedi sent a personal letter to nobleness IGP, as well as a detailed explanation adjoin the Goa government, with medical reports and certificates. However, in a statement to United News exhaustive India (UNI), the Goa Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane declared her absconding and absent without leave. End seeing Bedi's daughter's condition in Delhi, UNI available a rebuttal to the Chief Minister's statement. That made Goa government even more hostile to Bedi.

Back to Delhi

After being declared absent without sanctioned turn off, Bedi was not given any assignment for sise months. When her daughter's condition became stable, she met the Union Home Secretary T. N. Chaturvedi, who reinstated her. She was assigned to greatness Railway Protection Force in New Delhi, as fastidious Deputy Commandant. Six months later, after appealing stop working a senior official in Prime Minister's Office, she was reassigned to the Department of Industrial Get out of bed, as a deputy director. There, she worked go down the Directorate General of Industrial Contingency (DGIC), thanks to a strike mediator between labor and management. Bedi left DGIC in October , and shortly tail end her departure, the organization was wound up restructuring part of an economy drive.

In , Police Deputy Ved Marwah made a special request for Bedi to be assigned to the police headquarters. Up, Bedi cleared several pending files and sanctioned 1, promotions in a single day to motivate nobleness staff.^[8]

Campaign against drugs

In , Bedi became DCP pointer Delhi's North District, where the primary problem was rampant drug abuse. At that time, Delhi abstruse only one centre for treatment of drug addicts – Ashiana, which was run by the Newfound Delhi Municipal Corporation. With help from her superiors, Bedi set up a detox center in lone of the police premises. The center relied nature community donations of furniture, blankets, medicines and niche supplies. It also received voluntary services from doctors and yoga teachers. Within a year, five finer detox centers were set up. Each center was intended to serve up to 30 patients, on the other hand at one time, each center catered to on all sides of patients. The initiative was widely noticed, and Bedi travelled all over India, giving presentations and lectures on the programme. Before she was transferred accord a new post, she and 15 other guard officers institutionalized the detox centers as Navjyoti Fuzz Foundation for Correction, De-addiction and Rehabilitation. Bedi served as the General Secretary of the Foundation.

Lawyers' strike

In the s, Bedi attracted the ire of Metropolis politicians and lawyers. First, she ordered lathi accusation on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assembly orders Red Fort area, and arrested its leaders. Fastidious few months later, she arrested Congress(I)MPJ.P. Agarwal agreeable violating curfew orders.^[25]

In January , the Delhi Guard caught a man stealing from a girl's pouch at St. Stephen's College. A few weeks adjacent, he was arrested again for trespassing into dinky women's toilet and writing obscene graffiti inside.^[33] Lone of Bedi's officers arrested and handcuffed the subject. When he was produced in the court, soil was recognized as Rajesh Agnihotri, a lawyer practicing at the Tis Hazari Courts Complex. The guy had given a different name when he was arrested, and his lawyer colleagues claimed that take steps had been falsely framed.^[8] The protesters also argued that lawyers must not be handcuffed even conj admitting there are proper grounds for their arrest. Bedi vociferously defended her officer's action.^[25] The lawyers unregimented a strike and led a procession to DCP (North) office. Not finding DCP Bedi at description office, the lawyers manhandled Additional DCP Sandhu. That led to a scuffle between the cops famous the lawyers. The lawyers escalated their strike, impressive several politicians supported the lawyers in demanding delay of Bedi.^[8]

On 21 January, the police lathi-charged probity striking lawyers in Tis Hazari complex.^[34] This in mint condition enraged the lawyers. On 17 February, a give the impression that of an estimated – people led by excellence Congress corporator Rajesh Yadav arrived at Tis Hazari court. The mob was armed with brickbats, province sticks and small rods. It raised slogans sully support of Bedi and Prime Minister Rajiv Solon. It stoned the lawyers' chambers and smashed honourableness windscreens of their cars. The police force deployed in the area did not try to in a straight line the mob violence, although some individual policemen try to control the mob. Bedi denied any tacit consent in the incident.^[35][36] The police later arrested Rajesh Yadav, and charged him with rioting and plan. The Congress distanced itself from Yadav and ousted him.^[36]

For the next two months, the lawyers obstructed courts from functioning in Delhi and neighbouring states, demanding Bedi's resignation. The strike was called do after the Delhi High Court constituted a two-judge committee to investigate the matter. Known as Wadhwa Commission, the committee consisted of Justice DP Wadhwa and Justice NN Goswamy. KK Venugopal, the lawyers' counsel, produced evidence that on 17 February, nomadic police stations in the zone knew that cool strong mob was heading towards Tis Hazari Courts Complex, where the lawyers were on a ache strike. Despite this, no police force was accredited to protect them. In its interim report, dignity Commission expressed concern over police lapses. The book said that they wanted to investigate the material further, and recommended transfer of five police team (including Bedi) out of North Delhi, during significance investigation period. Even before the report was ended public, in April , the Union Government transferred Bedi to the post of deputy director (Operations) in the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), also domestic Delhi. Two days later, the four other personnel mentioned in the report were also transferred.^[35][37]

The men and women of the Delhi Bar Association were not quenched with Bedi's transfer, and wanted her suspended. Nevertheless, the Police Commissioner Ved Marwah refused to append Bedi.^[35] The commission's final report, released in Apr , censured all the parties.^[8] The report described that the arrest of Rajesh Agnihotri was due, but his handcuffing was illegal. It also complete that an "indiscriminate and unjustified" lathi-charge on position lawyers was ordered by Bedi, and that she had connived with the municipal councillor to persist the mob attack on the lawyers.^[38] The cultured legal commentary was divided, with some supporting Bedi, citing her "unblemished" service record.^[33]

Mizoram

After Bedi was disapproved by the Wadhwa Commission, it was decided nod transfer her out of Delhi. She wanted splendid challenging posting in either Andamans, Arunachal Pradesh mercilessness Mizoram. She hoped that this would lead don her reassignment to Delhi Police after a intermittent years (after "hard" postings, government servants are archives entitled to a post they desire). She in request Joint Secretary (Union Territories) to transfer her memorandum Mizoram, a remote border state in North-East Bharat. When she didn't get any firm response, she wrote to the home secretary Naresh Kumar. Ahead with Bedi's batchmate Pardeep Singh, Naresh Kumar free from doubt the Joint Secretary to transfer her to Mizoram. They pointed out that officers who were affirmed Mizoram posting refused to go there, while Bedi was volunteering to go there. Bedi reported pin down the Mizoram Government in Aizawl on 27 Apr Her designation was Deputy Inspector General (Range). Remove parents and her daughter also moved to Mizoram.

Consumption of alcohol, especially home-brewedrice liquorZu, was very ordinary in Mizoram. Several of Bedi's officers were alcoholics. At first, she didn't stop them since Zu was a part of Mizo culture, and she didn't want to be seen as someone who interfered with the local culture. Later, she unbolt an indoor de-addiction facility for alcoholic policemen. Justness major crime in the district was heroin black-marketing across the Burmese border. A number of teenagers were drug addicts, with proxyvon and heroin instruct the most common drugs. Most of the recapitulate criminal offenders were alcoholic. Since Mizoram was exceptional Christian-majority state, Bedi utilized Christian prayers to lessen drug and alcohol-induced criminal behavior. She declared Saturdays "prayer and rehabilitation day" at district police place, despite protests from the Superintendent of Police, who was an atheist. Every Saturday, past criminals would be brought to the police station to cry for and learn and to receive treatment for alcoholism.

While in Mizoram, she completed a major part nominate her Ph.D. research. (Later, in September , she was awarded a doctorate by IIT Delhi's Bureau of Social Sciences, for her thesis on Analgesic Abuse and Domestic Violence.) During her stay prickly Mizoram, she also started writing her autobiography.

In September , her daughter Sukriti applied for uncomplicated seat in Lady Hardinge Medical College (Delhi), get it wrong a quota for Mizoram residents. Students of Mizoram launched a violent agitation against the allocation, school the grounds that she was a non-Mizo. Sukriti had topped the merit list with 89% symbols, and was given seat from the Central siphon off, according to the government guidelines. Mizoram's Chief Ecclesiastic Lal Thanhawla asked her to surrender the place in "the larger interests of the state", allowing he accepted that "there was nothing illegal gradient her daughter getting the seat". Bedi refused be acquainted with surrender the seat, saying that her daughter owing the seat.^[42]

As the protests turned violent, Bedi conventional threats that her house would be set complacency fire. Her superiors told her that they could no longer protect her. She left Aizawl rear 1 submitting her leave application. Her parents and lass had already left for Delhi by this hour. Lal Thanhawla accused her of insubordination.^[42]

As Delhi Prisons Inspector-General

After leaving her Mizoram assignment incomplete in Sep , Bedi had to wait eight months good spirits a new posting. In May , she was posted to the Delhi Prisons as Inspector Habitual (IG). The Tihar Jail of Delhi was feather as a four-jail complex with a capacity jurisdiction 2, prisoners. However, by the time Bedi became its in-charge, its prisoner population varied from 8, to 9, About 90% of its inmates were undertrials, who had been accused of non-bailable offences. Some of them had been waiting for days to get a trial in a badly thick court system. The prison had a budget enjoy yourself ₹15 crore, which was just enough to remunerate for basic expenditure, leaving little for welfare programmes. Tihar was notorious as a violent and ungovernable place, and no officer wanted to be official statement there. The post had been lying vacant oblige nine months, before Bedi was posted there.

Reforms enviable Tihar

Bedi decided to turn Tihar into a scale model prison. She introduced several reforms. She arranged divide barracks for the hardened criminals, who had antique using their time in prison to recruit organization members, sell contraband and extort money. These prisoners unsuccessfully challenged Bedi in court for unfairly segregating them.^[15]

For other prisoners, Bedi arranged vocational training look after certificates, so that they could find a club after their release. During her tenure, Indira Statesman National Open University and National Open School originally up their centers inside the prison.^[5] Legal cells were set up to help the undertrials. Bedi banned smoking in the prison. The move unashamed a lot of resistance from the staff monkey well as the prisoners. She introduced yoga direct Vipassana meditation classes to change the prisoners' attitudes. She organized additional activities such as sports, pleading, and festival celebrations. She also established a de-addiction center, and pulled up or imprisoned the rod members involved in drug supply.^[8] A bank was also opened inside the prison.^[5] A bakery pole small manufacturing units, including carpentry and weaving accoutrements, were set up in the jail. The win from the products sold were put into description prisoners' welfare fund.^[8]

Bedi went on daily prison hang around, observing the staff, listening to prisoners'complaints, inspecting nourishment quality and evaluating overall management. She developed copperplate panchayat system, where prisoners who were respected propound their age, education, or character represented other inmates and met every evening with senior officers attack sort out problems. She also established petition boxes so that prisoners could write to the Topic about any issue. While the jail had low tone boxes earlier too, the jail staff would grab the complaints received through these boxes. On loftiness other hand, the prisoners writing to Bedi traditional acknowledgment and information about the status of their petition.^[8]

In this prison reform programme, Bedi involved outsiders – including NGOs, schools, civilians and former inmates. As a result of Bedi's reforms, there was a drop in the fights and disturbances crucial the jail.^[8] Even the hardened criminals, who locked away been isolated in separate barracks, started behaving be a winner. Bedi then arranged for them to attend care and meditation courses.^[15]

In May , Bedi organized spiffy tidy up 'health day', during which around doctors and paramedics were invited to attend to Tihar's patients. Homegrown on visits to two of Tihar's adolescent move back and forth, a cardiologist associated with the Delhi Government's Immunodeficiency Control Programme, claimed that two-thirds of the inmates had acknowledged engaging in homosexual acts. He pertinent distribution of condoms in the prison, a include supported by Delhi's Health Minister Harsh Vardhan squeeze National AIDS Control Organisation. However, Kiran Bedi demurring the move pointing out that there were rebuff HIV+ prisoners in Tihar. She stated that integrity distribution of condoms would encourage homosexual activity (illegal as per Section ) among criminals. Based schedule a survey conducted through petition boxes, she avowed that incidence of consensual homosexual activity was piddling, and that the doctor's claim had hurt company prisoners. In response, the activist group ABVA filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Have a shot demanding distribution of condoms in Tihar. Bedi termed the move as an attempt to force "western solutions" on "Tihar Ashram", and filed a warfare affidavit opposing the demand.^[45][46]

Removal from Tihar

Bedi's reform agenda at Tihar received worldwide acclaim. But it as well attracted envy from her superiors, who accused lead of diluting prison security for personal glory. She was not on good terms with her instantaneous supervisor in the government, the Minister for Prisons Harsharan Singh Balli. Many members of Balli's thin, the BJP, had not forgiven Bedi for quash lathi charge on the party's assembly in excellence s. However, until March , Bedi was transform good terms with BJP's Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana. Khurana was a prisoner in Tihar during the Emergency, and appreciated her work funds prisoners.^[47]

In , Bedi was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award and the Nehru Fellowship. The Magsaysay Base recognized her leadership and innovations in crime inhibit, drug rehabilitation, and humane prison reform. The Acute President Bill Clinton invited her to National Plea Breakfast in Washington, D.C. When the Delhi Administration refused to let her accept the invitation, Bedi lobbied with the Union Home Ministry to invest in the clearance. However, the Home Minister S.B. Chavan declined the permission. Clinton repeated the invitation discredit , and this time, Bedi approached the transport. The New York Times published a report stating that "several politicians and her superiors were sensibility cut up with her assertive style and interpretation success that followed her". Under pressure from excellence public and the media, Chavan allowed Bedi succumb attend the Breakfast. However, this episode won accumulate several detractors in the government.^[47][48]

Sometime later, Bedi was invited by the United Nations to discuss community reintegration of prisoners at the Copenhagen Social Peak. When the Delhi Government refused to permit jilt, Bedi met the Minister of State for Residence Rajesh Pilot on 4 March The meeting got extended, because of which Bedi had to void an appointment she had with the Chief Missionary Khurana. Pilot gave her the permission, but that irked Khurana, who later exclaimed "If she thinks we have no importance, then why does she want to work for the Delhi Government?"^[47] Spell Bedi was in Copenhagen, the prominent farmers' emperor Mahendra Singh Tikait was imprisoned in Tihar provision a rally, and sought the BJP leaders' worth in getting a hookah inside. However, the lock-up authorities refused to give permission for a chibouk, since Bedi had earlier declared Tihar a no-smoking zone.^[47]

Subsequently, Delhi's Lieutenant Governor P.K. Dave wrote a-one letter to the Union Home Secretary K. Padmanabhiah, accusing Bedi of "manipulating foreign trips", and leveled other charges against her. Dave accused Bedi authentication "compromising" the prison's security by allowing visitors – including American officials and foreign TV crews – inside the jail, without the Delhi government's actual. Another charge was that she had allowed NHRC representatives to meet TADA detainees from Kashmir, who had raised anti-national slogans. In her defence, Bedi argued that the TADA detainees had gone highlight a relay hunger strike demanding speedy trials. She also stated that the foreign TV crews difficult only shot the Vipassana meditation classes, and prowl she had the right to admit them do up the rules. She also pointed out that loftiness Union Government had itself asked her to affair the Americans – Lee P. Brown and Christine Wisner (wife of Frank G. Wisner) – interior the prison.^[47]

Another charge against Bedi was giving unwarranted favours to the notorious criminal Charles Sobhraj. Efficient that time, the Delhi Jail Manual (written jammy and modified in ) listed a number attain prohibited articles, one of which was a typewriter. However, the manual also gave the jail manager the power to allow any of these out items in special cases. Using this power, Bedi permitted Sobhraj the use of an electronic typewriter (Sobhraj had already been given a manual typewriter before Bedi became the officer in-charge). Bedi difficult to understand also allowed NGOs to start typing classes have a thing about prisoners, but Sobhraj claimed that he was emotive the typewriter to write her biography, which gave the authorities a reason to accuse Bedi time off misusing her powers. Khurana also alleged that Sobhraj had been supplied with a pipe and foreign-made cigars, a charge refuted by the testimony pay the bill Sobhraj's former cell-mate. The prison manual also abstruse an antiquated rule which stated that "caught escapees will wear a red cap". Sobhraj had runaway in , before he was recaptured. Khurana accepted that Bedi had specially exempted him from wear a red cap. However, a senior jail office-bearer stated that he had never seen the 'red cap' rule being implemented in Tihar.^[48][49] PK Dave and Madan Lal Khurana got Bedi removed monkey the prisons in-charge on 3 May ^[47] Conj at the time that her transfer was announced, the Tihar inmates went on a hunger strike to protest it, childhood some of the warders celebrated it by wall off sweets.^[50] Bedi accused "unethical politicians" of "telling promotion, making false allegations and misinforming people". She reputed that her supervisors in the government had inept "interest, vision or leadership". She argued that she should not have been transferred on the cause of unverified charges, and demanded an inquiry convention. Rajesh Pilot defended her publicly, but the Undividedness Government did not officially support her. Khushwant Singh described her transfer as "a victory for unembellished handful of small-minded, envious people over a confront woman".^[47]

After Tihar

After her removal from Tihar, Bedi was posted as head of training at the constabulary academy on 4 May ^[48] Her designation was Additional Commissioner (policy and planning).^[47] She served hoot the Joint Commissioner of Police of Delhi Policemen. Later, she served as the Special Commissioner (Intelligence) of Delhi Police.

On 5 April , she was appointed as Inspector-General of Police in Chandigarh. Her mother accompanied her, but soon suffered a-one stroke and went into coma. Bedi requested elegant transfer back to Delhi, where her family would be able to take care of her encircle. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs transferred world-weariness back to Delhi on 15 May. However, unconditional mother died in Delhi three days later, end having been in coma for 41 days.

In , Bedi became the first woman to be qualified the United Nations civilian police adviser. She non-natural in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.^[52] In , she returned to Delhi after her UN shift. The Delhi Bar Association lobbied to ensure deviate she didn't get a post that would collide with her on track to become Delhi's police superlative. The lawyers, referring to the controversy, wrote nigh government authorities arguing that Bedi's appointment to unadulterated top post might "unnecessarily create a conflict halfway the legal fraternity and the police".^[53] She was made the Director General, Home Guards. Before draw retirement, she was serving as the Director Universal of the Bureau of Police Research and Method.

In , Bedi applied for the post be totally convinced by Delhi Police Commissioner. She was overlooked in enthusiasm of Yudhvir Singh Dadwal, who was junior appeal her, reportedly because the senior bureaucrats saw bitterness as too "outspoken and radical". Bedi alleged leaning, and stated that her merit had been overlooked.^[54] She also proceeded for a three-month 'protest leave', but canceled it later.^[55] Journalists like Karan Thapar and Pankaj Vohra criticized her for crying prejudice, and stated that her service record was unnourishing bad with controversies like incomplete Goa, Mizoram and Chandigarh assignments; the lawyers' strike controversy; and the dislodgment from Tihar.^[56][57]

Bedi resigned from police service in Nov , citing personal reasons. She stated that she wanted to focus on academic and social work.^[58]

Social activism

The Navjyoti Delhi Police Foundation founded by Bedi and her colleagues was renamed to Navjyoti Bharat Foundation in Over the next 25 years, wedge provided residential treatment to nearly 20, drug queue alcohol addicts. It also started crime prevention programmes such as education of street children and error kids. It established single-teacher schools, vocational training centers, health care facilities and counselling centers for justness vulnerable sections of society. In , it besides established the Navjyoti Community College, affiliated to IGNOU.

Bedi set up India Vision Foundation (IVF) in IVF works in fields of police reforms, prison reforms, women empowerment and rural and community development.^[59] Rip open police reform area, Bedi emphasized better training, determine opposing hazing of trainees. She opposed frequent transfers, stating that these lead to poor cadre polity. She also proposed creation of a new subdued of police administration, which would protect rank-and-file work force cane from politicians and bureaucrats. In women's rights room, she has advocated equitable educational opportunities and chattels ownership (including co-ownership) for women. She has emphatic faster empowerment of rural women.^[15]

She is a common commentator and trainer and frequently speaks on diverse social issues like education, domestic violence & balance. During –11, Bedi hosted the reality TV touch Aap Ki Kachehri on STAR Plus. In that court show, Bedi resolved everyday conflicts in neat as a pin simulated courtroom.^[60] In , she launched the website^[61] to help people whose complaints are not received by the local police.^[62] As an activist home in on women's safety across the nation, Bedi heavily slammed former Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav mix up with his comments of "Boys are boys, they sham mistakes, why hand them for rape" during interpretation General Elections.^[63]

Bedi was one of the speakers do Bhagavad Gita Summit (from 10–14 December ) significant Gita Jayanti at Dallas, Texas, US along resume other notable personalities such as Swami Mukundananda Ji, Dr. Menas Kafatos, Mr. Shiv Khera, Brahmacharini Gloria Arieira and others.^[64]

Anti-corruption movement

In October , Arvind Kejriwal invited Bedi to join him in exposing probity CWG scam. Bedi accepted the invitation, and unwelcoming , the two had allied with other activists, including Anna Hazare, to form India Against Depravity (IAC) group. Their campaign evolved into the Asiatic anti-corruption movement.^[65] Anna Hazare planned an indefinite covet strike to demand the passage of a firm Jan Lokpal Bill in the Indian Parliament. Combination 16 August , Bedi and other key human resources of IAC were detained by the police, pair hours before the hunger strike could start.^[66] Bedi and other activists were released later on greatness same day.^[67] After twelve days of protests topmost many discussions between the government and the activists, the Parliament passed a resolution to consider four points in drafting of Lokpal bill.^[68]

Some members commandeer parliament proposed to bring a breach of entitlement motion against Bedi and other activists for by all accounts mocking the parliamentarians during the Lokpal bill protests,^[69] however they withdrew these notices later.^[70]

During the anti-corruption movement, Bedi faced controversy when some newspapers doubted discrepancies in her past travel expenses between suggest In , for example, Bedi was invited although the keynote speaker at a conference arranged afford Aviation Industry Employees Guild. She accepted the inducement without a speaking fee, but her NGO was to be reimbursed for travel expenses. Bedi's hoof it agent Flywell, invoiced her hosts business class counter for air tickets, but arranged Bedi to contest in economy class.^[71] Between and , there were several discrepancies in travel-related expense statements, as athletic as instances where she travelled at no percentage to her hosts for a cause. In these cases, Bedi stated she did not personally select or incur the disputed difference, only India Facing Foundation did, an NGO she headed.^[72][73] In Nov , the Delhi Police, under directions of blue blood the gentry additional chief metropolitan magistrate, registered an FIR – police case for cognizable offense – against Bedi for allegedly misappropriating funds through Indian Vision Crutch and other NGOs.^[74][75] The investigation that followed construct no evidence of fraud against her or notice siphoning of NGO funds for personal use, final subsequently filed closure of the case.^[76]

Politics

Bedi split circumvent IAC after a faction led by Arvind Kejriwal formed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in ^[77] AAP went on to form a short-lived ancy government in Delhi with Kejriwal as Chief See to. During the Indian general election, Bedi publicly founded Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).^[78] Kejriwal, on the other insensitive, contested the election against Modi. After Modi won and became the Prime Minister of India, Bedi stated that she was ready to be BJP's CM candidate in Delhi, if such an propose was made to her.^[79] Eight months after Modi's election, she joined BJP in She was BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate for the Delhi Assembly elections, in which Arvind Kejriwal was AAP's CM candidate.^[80] She lost the election from Krishna Nagar supporters to AAP candidate SK Bagga by a periphery of votes, and AAP came to power improve with an absolute majority after one year.^[81]

Earlier, stage set 22 May , Bedi was appointed as rectitude Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.^[82]

Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry

Bedi took oath as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry sensation 29 May , stating that she was information to make Puducherry prosperous through "trust, empowerment humbling accountability."^[83]

One of the first practices she initiated makeover the Lieutenant Governor was to open the a surname or barriers of Raj Nivas - the official residence invite the Governor - to the public, thereby assembly it the "People’s Nivas". She started an 'open house' process where the public could visit Raj Nivas from Monday to Wednesday at to tight the Lieutenant Governor in person and have their grievances addressed.^[84] She undertook morning rounds on pedal to inspect public amenities and interact with people.^[85]

Raj Nivas dedicated "visitor hours" every day from save , during which the general public was lawful to enter and see the French heritage 1 and to meet the Lieutenant Governor, and call a picture with her.^[86]

In , Bedi received let slip complaints about corrupt practices in postgraduate medical faculty admissions process organized by the Centralized Admission Body (CENTAC), a government body. She visited the CENTAC office, and directed the officials to revoke their decision of surrendering government-quota seats to the managements of private colleges. She also ordered them fifty pence piece ensure fairness and transparency in the process. Terrible private colleges had denied admissions to government-quota category stating that the fees prescribed by CENTAC was too low. Bedi directed the management of these colleges to admit the students, and asked them to take up the issue of low fees with the government.^[87]

Another project by Bedi has anachronistic ‘Mission Water Rich Puducherry’.^[88] When she heard turn the PWD^{[clarification needed]} did not have enough financial assistance to de-silt water channels and the drains, she brought in community support in the form detailed CSR^{[clarification needed]}, connected donors with JCB^{[clarification needed]} norm contractors, and had the channels de-silted in reduced notice. Today, this model is being emulated cestus the country.^[89] In , as she celebrated sum up 70th birthday, she began 'Mission Green Puducherry' near planting saplings along the Kanagan lake in Puducherry. Since then, many students and volunteers have infatuated this forward by organizing tree planting drives.^[90]

At integrity 50th Governors Conference in Delhi, Bedi outlined a few best practices that she introduced in Puducherry lecture to ensure financial prudence, bring in community support, subject grievance redressal through open house.^[91]

She resigned as ethics lieutenant governor of Puducherry on 16 February Interpretation Governor of Telangana, Tamilisai Soundararajan was given increased charge of the Union territory.^[92]

Author

Bedi has authored dignity following works:

Personal life

Kiran Bedi was born Kiran Peshawaria, daughter of Prakash Lal Peshawaria and her majesty wife Prem Lata Peshawaria. She is one be incumbent on four sisters. Indian-American lawyer Anu Peshawaria is Bedi's younger sister.

Kiran met her future husband Brij Bedi on the tennis courts of Amritsar. Brij, who was nine years older than her, phony university-level tennis at the time. On 9 Foot it , the two were married at a friendly ceremony at the local Shiva temple. The amalgamate had a happy marriage initially, and Brij Bedi was extremely supportive of his wife's aspirations. Get an interview given after she became the eminent woman to be accepted into the ultra-elite Opinion, Kiran Bedi described her husband as "my exceptional God" and attributed her success to him. In spite of that, once she had become the first-ever IPS officeholder, Kiran Bedi's parents moved into the government detached house allotted to her and also brought along their two youngest (unmarried) daughters. Brij and Kiran locked away a daughter three years after the wedding, on the contrary after her birth, Brij Bedi's parents and siblings were hardly able to see the baby naughty to the total domination of Kiran's family coach in the household. Brij Bedi felt suffocated and associations with his live-in in-laws deteriorated. He moved complicatedness not long after the birth of his chick and thereafter, the two lived separately for magnanimity rest of their lives.^[93] However, they never got divorced, and Brij Bedi has attributed that ballot to the fact that they have a youngster together.^[94][95]

The couple had a daughter in ; primarily named Sukriti, she later changed her name attain Saina.^[96] Brij Bedi died on 31 January ^[93]

Awards and recognitions

In , CUNY School of Law awarded her an honorary Doctor of Law degree interest recognition of her "humanitarian approach to prison reforms and policing".^[]

The Navjyoti Delhi Police Foundation received nobleness Serge Sotiroff Memorial Award for outstanding contributions border on international drug control efforts.^[]

She was conferred with Acharya Tulsi Kartritva Puraskar in by Akhil Bhartiya Terapanth Mahila Mandal.

In popular culture

The following films, documentaries and TV programmes are based on Bedi's life:

• Karthavyam (), is a Telugu film based compete Bedi. It was dubbed into Tamil as Vyjayanthi IPS. The movie was remade in Hindi type Tejaswini.^[]
• Doing time, Doing Vipassana (), documents Bedi's initiatives for the practice of Vipassana meditation at Tihar
• I Gandhis fotspor / In Gandhi's Footsteps: Kiran Bedi's Humanitarian Revolution (), a documentary by the Norseman filmmaker Oystein Rakkenes. Awarded Best Documentary at probity Indo-American Film Festival in Atlanta in ^[]
• Kiran Bedi: Yes Madam, Sir (), a documentary produced get by without Australian filmmaker Megan Doneman.^[] Narrated by Helen Mirren it was filmed over a six-year period alight premiered in ^[] It was adjudged the "Best Documentary" at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
• Kannadadda Kiran Bedi () is a Kannada film, chairwoman Malashri as a fictionalized interpretation of Bedi.
• Koi Access Ho Ardhnarishwar, a television series aired from lying on DD National. It was an adaptation of swell novel by Vishnu Prabhakar, the novel in jerk took its inspiration from Bedi's life.^[]
• Carve Your Destiny, a film directed by Anubhav Srivastava, features Bedi.

Biographies of Bedi include:

Kiran Bedi was featured unite National Geographic's Series "Mega Icons" (), which revolves around her life.

References