Kiran Bedi, was born on 9 June 1949 and is an Indian social activist, former-tennis player who became the first woman in India to join the officer ranks of the Indian Police Service in 1972 and was the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry from 28 May 2016 to 16 February 2021.
126 Facts About Kiran Bedi
2.
Kiran Bedi remained in service for 35 years before taking voluntary retirement in 2007 as Director General, Bureau of Police Research and Development.
3.
Kiran Bedi started her career as an Assistant Superintendent of Police in the Chanakyapuri area of Delhi, and won the President's Police Medal in 1979.
4.
In May 1993, Kiran Bedi was posted to the Delhi Prisons as Inspector General.
5.
Kiran Bedi introduced several reforms at Tihar Jail, which won her the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1994.
6.
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.
7.
Kiran Bedi resigned in 2007, to focus on social activism and writing.
8.
Kiran Bedi was one of the key leaders of the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in January 2015.
9.
Kiran Bedi unsuccessfully contested the 2015 Delhi Assembly election as the party's Chief Ministerial candidate.
10.
Kiran Bedi Peshawaria was born on 9 June 1949 in Amritsar, East Punjab, Dominion of India, into a Punjabi business family.
11.
Kiran Bedi's upbringing was not very religious, but she was brought up in both Hindu and Sikh traditions.
12.
Kiran Bedi cut this allowance when Bedi's elder sister Shashi was enrolled in the Sacred Heart Convent School, Amritsar.
13.
Kiran Bedi started her formal studies in 1954, at the Sacred Heart Convent School in Amritsar.
14.
Kiran Bedi participated in National Cadet Corps, among other extra-curricular activities.
15.
When she was in Class 9, Kiran Bedi joined Cambridge College, a private institute that offered science education and prepared her for matriculation exam.
16.
Kiran Bedi graduated in 1968, with a Bachelor of Arts in English, from Government College for Women at Amritsar.
17.
From 1970 to 1972, Kiran Bedi taught as a lecturer at Khalsa College for Women in Amritsar.
18.
Kiran Bedi lost in early rounds, but came back to win the trophy two years later, in 1966.
19.
Between 1965 and 1978, Kiran Bedi won several tennis championships, including:.
20.
Kiran Bedi was a part of Indian team that beat Sri Lanka to win the Lionel Fonseka Memorial Trophy in Colombo.
21.
Kiran Bedi continued playing tennis until the age of thirty, when she started focusing on her Indian Police Service career.
22.
On 16 July 1972, Kiran Bedi started her police training at the National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie.
23.
Kiran Bedi was the only woman in a batch of 80 men, and became the first woman IPS officer.
24.
Kiran Bedi's first posting was to the Chanakyapuri subdivision of Delhi in 1975.
25.
Kiran Bedi's daughter Sukriti was born in September 1975.
26.
DCP Kiran Bedi's platoon was deployed to stop the protesters and prevent violence.
27.
In 1979, Kiran Bedi was posted to Delhi's West District, where there were not enough officers to handle the high volume of criminal activity.
28.
Kiran Bedi enabled anonymous reporting of any knowledge about crimes.
29.
Kiran Bedi clamped down on bootlegging and the illicit liquor business to reduce crimes in the area.
30.
Kiran Bedi implemented an open door policy, which encouraged citizens to interact with her.
31.
Kiran Bedi 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.
32.
Kiran Bedi regularly asked people if they knew about the beat constable assigned to their area, and walked with the constables to raise their self-esteem.
33.
Kiran Bedi encouraged coordination between the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Electric Supply Undertaking and Delhi Development Authority.
34.
Kiran Bedi clamped down on errant motorists with a heavy hand.
35.
Kiran Bedi's team towed improperly parked vehicles using six tow trucks for traffic control.
36.
Kiran Bedi bought traffic police jeeps for her officers; for the first time, four wheelers were allocated to inspectors in the traffic unit.
37.
Kiran Bedi refused to accept the award for herself alone, and recommended that it be given to entire traffic unit.
38.
Kiran Bedi did not spare errant motorists from the rich and influential section of the society, which resulted in a powerful lobby against her.
39.
Kiran Bedi's victims included the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation and her own sister-in-law.
40.
Kiran Bedi requested the Home Ministry to not to transfer her out of Delhi until her daughter's condition became stable.
41.
Kiran Bedi's request was not entertained, and she had to leave behind her daughter, who was too ill to accompany her.
42.
Kiran Bedi arrived in Goa in March 1983, on a three-year assignment.
43.
One day, during a patrol, Kiran Bedi noticed that there was a huge mass at the ferry boarding point.
44.
Kiran Bedi drove to the bridge, removed the blockades and diverted the traffic waiting at ferry to the bridge.
45.
Kiran Bedi involved NCC cadets in Goa for traffic regulation along the VIP routes.
46.
Kiran Bedi applied for leave, so that she could go to Delhi and take care of her daughter.
47.
Kiran Bedi left for Delhi anyway, since she had enough leaves in her account.
48.
Kiran Bedi's daughter was hospitalised at AIIMS for one week.
49.
Kiran Bedi sent a personal letter to the IGP, as well as a detailed explanation to the Goa government, with medical reports and certificates.
50.
Kiran Bedi was assigned to the Railway Protection Force in New Delhi, as a Deputy Commandant.
51.
Kiran Bedi left DGIC in October 1985, and shortly after her departure, the organization was wound up as part of an economy drive.
52.
In 1985, Police Commissioner Ved Marwah made a special request for Kiran Bedi to be assigned to the police headquarters.
53.
In 1986, Kiran Bedi became DCP of Delhi's North District, where the primary problem was rampant drug abuse.
54.
The initiative was widely noticed, and Kiran Bedi travelled all over India, giving presentations and lectures on the programme.
55.
The scholarly legal commentary was divided, with some supporting Kiran Bedi, citing her "unblemished" service record.
56.
Kiran Bedi wanted a challenging posting in either Andamans, Arunachal Pradesh or Mizoram.
57.
Kiran Bedi hoped that this would lead to her reassignment to Delhi Police after a few years.
58.
Kiran Bedi requested Joint Secretary to transfer her to Mizoram, a remote border state in North-East India.
59.
Kiran Bedi reported to the Mizoram Government in Aizawl on 27 April 1990.
60.
Since Mizoram was a Christian-majority state, Kiran Bedi utilized Christian prayers to reduce drug and alcohol-induced criminal behavior.
61.
Kiran Bedi declared Saturdays "prayer and rehabilitation day" at district police stations, despite protests from the Superintendent of Police, who was an atheist.
62.
Kiran Bedi refused to surrender the seat, saying that her daughter deserved the seat.
63.
Kiran Bedi's superiors told her that they could no longer protect her.
64.
However, by the time Kiran Bedi became its in-charge, its prisoner population varied from 8,000 to 9,500.
65.
The post had been lying vacant for nine months, before Kiran Bedi was posted there.
66.
Kiran Bedi arranged separate barracks for the hardened criminals, who had been using their time in prison to recruit gang members, sell contraband and extort money.
67.
For other prisoners, Kiran Bedi arranged vocational training with certificates, so that they could find a job after their release.
68.
Kiran Bedi introduced yoga and Vipassana meditation classes to change the prisoners' attitudes.
69.
Kiran Bedi organized additional activities such as sports, prayer, and festival celebrations.
70.
Kiran Bedi established a de-addiction center, and pulled up or imprisoned the staff members involved in drug supply.
71.
Kiran Bedi went on daily prison tours, observing the staff, listening to prisoners'complaints, inspecting food quality and evaluating overall management.
72.
Kiran Bedi 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.
73.
Kiran Bedi established petition boxes so that prisoners could write to the IG about any issue.
74.
Kiran Bedi then arranged for them to attend education and meditation courses.
75.
Kiran Bedi recommended distribution of condoms in the prison, a move supported by Delhi's Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and National AIDS Control Organisation.
76.
However, Kiran Bedi opposed the move pointing out that there were no HIV+ prisoners in Tihar.
77.
Kiran Bedi stated that the distribution of condoms would encourage homosexual activity among criminals.
78.
Kiran Bedi termed the move as an attempt to force "western solutions" on "Tihar Ashram", and filed a counter affidavit opposing the demand.
79.
Kiran Bedi was not on good terms with her immediate supervisor in the government, the Minister for Prisons Harsharan Singh Balli.
80.
However, until March 1995, Kiran Bedi was on good terms with BJP's Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana.
81.
In 1994, Kiran Bedi was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award and the Nehru Fellowship.
82.
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.
83.
Clinton repeated the invitation in 1995, and this time, Kiran Bedi approached the media.
84.
Under pressure from the public and the media, Chavan allowed Kiran Bedi to attend the Breakfast.
85.
Sometime later, Kiran Bedi was invited by the United Nations to discuss social reintegration of prisoners at the Copenhagen Social Summit.
86.
The meeting got extended, because of which Kiran Bedi had to cancel an appointment she had with the Chief Minister Khurana.
87.
However, the jail authorities refused to give permission for a hookah, since Kiran Bedi had earlier declared Tihar a no-smoking zone.
88.
Dave wrote a letter to the Union Home Secretary K Padmanabhiah, accusing Bedi of "manipulating foreign trips", and leveled other charges against her.
89.
Kiran Bedi stated that the foreign TV crews had only shot the Vipassana meditation classes, and that she had the right to admit them under the rules.
90.
Kiran Bedi had allowed NGOs to start typing classes for prisoners, but Sobhraj claimed that he was using the typewriter to write her biography, which gave the authorities a reason to accuse Kiran Bedi of misusing her powers.
91.
Khurana alleged that Kiran Bedi had specially exempted him from wearing a red cap.
92.
PK Dave and Madan Lal Khurana got Kiran Bedi removed as the prisons in-charge on 3 May 1995.
93.
Kiran Bedi accused "unethical politicians" of "telling lies, making false allegations and misinforming people".
94.
Kiran Bedi alleged that her supervisors in the government had no "interest, vision or leadership".
95.
Kiran Bedi argued that she should not have been transferred on the basis of unverified charges, and demanded an inquiry committee.
96.
Kiran Bedi served as the Joint Commissioner of Police of Delhi Police.
97.
Kiran Bedi's mother accompanied her, but soon suffered a stroke and went into coma.
98.
Kiran Bedi requested a transfer back to Delhi, where her family would be able to take care of her mother.
99.
In 2003, Kiran Bedi became the first woman to be appointed the United Nations civilian police adviser.
100.
In 2007, Kiran Bedi applied for the post of Delhi Police Commissioner.
101.
Kiran Bedi was overlooked in favour of Yudhvir Singh Dadwal, who was junior to her, reportedly because the senior bureaucrats saw her as too "outspoken and radical".
102.
Kiran Bedi alleged bias, and stated that her merit had been overlooked.
103.
Kiran Bedi resigned from police service in November 2007, citing personal reasons.
104.
Kiran Bedi stated that she wanted to focus on academic and social work.
105.
In police reform area, Kiran Bedi emphasized better training, while opposing hazing of trainees.
106.
Kiran Bedi opposed frequent transfers, stating that these lead to poor cadre management.
107.
Kiran Bedi proposed creation of a new level of police administration, which would protect rank-and-file officers from politicians and bureaucrats.
108.
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.
109.
In October 2010, Arvind Kejriwal invited Kiran Bedi to join him in exposing the CWG scam.
110.
Kiran Bedi accepted the invitation, and by 2011, the two had allied with other activists, including Anna Hazare, to form India Against Corruption group.
111.
In 2009, for example, Kiran Bedi was invited as the keynote speaker at a conference arranged by Aviation Industry Employees Guild.
112.
Kiran Bedi accepted the invitation without a speaking fee, but her NGO was to be reimbursed for travel expenses.
113.
Kiran Bedi was BJP's Chief Minister candidate for the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections, in which Arvind Kejriwal was AAP's CM candidate.
114.
Kiran Bedi 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.
115.
Kiran Bedi started an 'open house' process where the public could visit Raj Nivas from Monday to Wednesday at 5 PM to meet the Lieutenant Governor in person and have their grievances addressed.
116.
Kiran Bedi undertook morning rounds on bicycle to inspect public amenities and interact with people.
117.
In 2017, Kiran Bedi received public complaints about corrupt practices in postgraduate medical college admissions process organized by the Centralized Admission Committee, a government body.
118.
Kiran Bedi visited the CENTAC office, and directed the officials to revoke their decision of surrendering government-quota seats to the managements of private colleges.
119.
Kiran Bedi ordered them to ensure fairness and transparency in the process.
120.
Kiran 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.
121.
At the 50th Governors Conference in Delhi, Kiran Bedi outlined several best practices that she introduced in Puducherry to ensure financial prudence, bring in community support, and grievance redressal through open house.
122.
Kiran Bedi resigned as the lieutenant governor of Puducherry on 16 February 2021.
123.
Kiran Bedi along with three of her sisters were born to the family of Prakash Lal Peshawaria and Prem Lata Peshawaria.
124.
Kiran Bedi met her future husband Brij Bedi on tennis courts of Amritsar.
125.
Kiran Bedi was conferred with Acharya Tulsi Kartritva Puraskar in 2005 by Akhil Bhartiya Terapanth Mahila Mandal.
126.
Kiran Bedi was featured in National Geographic's Series "Mega Icons", which revolves around her life.