59 Facts About Kiran Bedi

1. Kiran Bedi's started her career as an Assistant Superintendent of Police in the Chanakyapuri area of Delhi, and won the President's Police Medal in 1979.

2. In May 1993, Kiran Bedi was posted to the Delhi Prisons as Inspector General.

3. In 2003, Kiran Bedi became the first Indian and first woman to be appointed head of the United Nations Police and Police Advisor in the United Nations Department of Peace Operations.

4. Kiran Bedi's resigned in 2007, to focus on social activism and writing.

5. Kiran Bedi started her formal studies in 1954, at the Sacred Heart Convent School in Amritsar.

6. Kiran Bedi's participated in National Cadet Corps, among other extra-curricular activities.

7. When she was in Class 9, Kiran Bedi joined Cambridge College, a private institute that offered science education and prepared her for matriculation exam.

8. Kiran Bedi graduated in 1968, with a Bachelor of Arts in English, from Government College for Women at Amritsar.

9. From 1970 to 1972, Kiran Bedi taught as a lecturer at Khalsa College for Women in Amritsar.

10. Kiran Bedi's continued playing tennis until the age of thirty, when she started focusing on her Indian Police Service career.

11. On 16 July 1972, Kiran Bedi started her police training at the National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie.

12. Kiran Bedi's was the only woman in a batch of 80 men, and became the first woman IPS officer.

13. Kiran Bedi's enabled anonymous reporting of any knowledge about crimes.

14. Kiran Bedi implemented an open door policy, which encouraged citizens to interact with her.

15. Kiran Bedi's implemented a "beat box" system: a complaint box was installed in each ward, and the beat constables were instructed to have their lunch near this box at a set time each day.

16. Kiran Bedi encouraged coordination between the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Electric Supply Undertaking and Delhi Development Authority.

17. Kiran Bedi's bought traffic police jeeps for her officers; for the first time, four wheelers were allocated to inspectors in the traffic unit.

18. Kiran Bedi's refused to accept the award for herself alone, and recommended that it be given to entire traffic unit.

19. Kiran Bedi requested the Home Ministry to not to transfer her out of Delhi until her daughter's condition became stable.

20. Kiran Bedi arrived in Goa in March 1983, on a three-year assignment.

21. One day, during a patrol, Kiran Bedi noticed that there was a huge mass at the ferry boarding point.

22. Kiran Bedi's drove to the bridge, removed the blockades and diverted the traffic waiting at ferry to the bridge.

23. Kiran Bedi applied for leave, so that she could go to Delhi and take care of her daughter.

24. Kiran Bedi sent a personal letter to the IGP, as well as a detailed explanation to the Goa government, with medical reports and certificates.

25. Kiran Bedi's was assigned to the Railway Protection Force in New Delhi, as a Deputy Commandant.

26. In 1986, Kiran Bedi became DCP of Delhi's North District, where the primary problem was rampant drug abuse.

27. The initiative was widely noticed, and Kiran Bedi travelled all over India, giving presentations and lectures on the programme.

28. The scholarly legal commentary was divided, with some supporting Kiran Bedi, citing her "unblemished" service record.

29. Kiran Bedi's wanted a challenging posting in either Andamans, Arunachal Pradesh or Mizoram.

30. Kiran Bedi's hoped that this would lead to her reassignment to Delhi Police after a few years.

31. Kiran Bedi's requested Joint Secretary to transfer her to Mizoram, a remote border state in North-East India.

32. Kiran Bedi reported to the Mizoram Government in Aizawl on 27 April 1990.

33. Kiran Bedi refused to surrender the seat, saying that her daughter deserved the seat.

34. Kiran Bedi's introduced yoga and Vipassana meditation classes to change the prisoners' attitudes.

35. Kiran Bedi's organized additional activities such as sports, prayer, and festival celebrations.

36. Kiran Bedi's established a de-addiction center, and pulled up or imprisoned the staff members involved in drug supply.

37. Kiran Bedi went on daily prison tours, observing the staff, listening to prisoners'complaints, inspecting food quality and evaluating overall management.

38. Kiran Bedi's developed a panchayat system, where prisoners who were respected for their age, education, or character represented other inmates and met every evening with senior officers to sort out problems.

39. In May 1994, Kiran Bedi organized a 'health day', during which around 400 doctors and paramedics were invited to attend to Tihar's patients.

40. Kiran Bedi's was not on good terms with her immediate supervisor in the government, the Minister for Prisons Harsharan Singh Balli.

41. In 1994, Kiran Bedi was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award and the Nehru Fellowship.

42. The US President Bill Clinton invited her to National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC When the Delhi Government refused to let her accept the invitation, Kiran Bedi lobbied with the Union Home Ministry to get the clearance.

43. PK Dave and Madan Lal Khurana got Kiran Bedi removed as the prisons in-charge on 3 May 1995.

44. Kiran Bedi's served as the Joint Commissioner of Police of Delhi Police.

45. In 2007, Kiran Bedi applied for the post of Delhi Police Commissioner.

46. Kiran Bedi resigned from police service in November 2007, citing personal reasons.

47. In police reform area, Kiran Bedi emphasized better training, while opposing hazing of trainees.

48. Kiran Bedi's opposed frequent transfers, stating that these lead to poor cadre management.

49. Kiran Bedi's proposed creation of a new level of police administration, which would protect rank-and-file officers from politicians and bureaucrats.

50. Kiran Bedi was one of the speakers in Bhagavad Gita Summit during Gita Jayanti at Dallas, Texas, US along with other notable personalities such as Swami Mukundananda Ji, Dr Menas Kafatos, Mr Shiv Khera, Brahmacharini Gloria Arieira and others.

51. Kiran Bedi's accepted the invitation without a speaking fee, but her NGO was to be reimbursed for travel expenses.

52. Kiran Bedi's was BJP's Chief Minister candidate for the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections, in which Arvind Kejriwal was AAP's CM candidate.

53. Kiran Bedi's lost the election from Krishna Nagar constituency to AAP candidate SK Bagga by a margin of 2277 votes, and AAP came to power again with an absolute majority after one year.

54. Kiran Bedi took oath as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry on 29 May 2016, and broke convention by addressing the gathering at the oath ceremony.

55. Kiran Bedi's said she was there "on a mission to make the Union Territory of Puducherry a Prosperous Puducherry" and gave "the TEA mantra to officers to work towards this mission.

56. Kiran Bedi's brought about team spirit, collaboration, financial prudence, effective policing, bonding in services and decision making through fearless leadership.

57. Kiran Bedi's met her future husband Brij Bedi on tennis courts of Amritsar.

58. Kiran Bedi's was conferred with Acharya Tulsi Kartritva Puraskar in 2005 by Akhil Bhartiya Terapanth Mahila Mandal.

59. Kiran Bedi was featured in National Geographic's Series "Mega Icons", which revolves around her life.