Kiran Bedi is an eminent Indian social activist and a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. She is memorable 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 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. Kiran Bedi`s prison reforms policies lead to her winning the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1994.

Eventually, 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. Kiran Bedi is one of the most celebrated and widely known police officers, born on 9 June 1949 in Amritsar, Punjab. Kiran Bedi was born to Prakash Lal Peshawaria and Prem Lata Peshawaria; she has three sisters.

Kiran Bedi completed her schooling from the Sacred Heart Convent School, Amritsar, where she joined the National Cadet Corps (NCC). Kiran Bedi had a strong passion for tennis that she inherited from her father, who himself was a talented tennis player. Later, Kiran Bedi graduated in English (Hons.) from the Government College for Women, Amritsar; following she earned a Master`s degree in1970, in Political Science from Punjab University, Chandigarh and acquired the top position in the University. Even while in active service in the Indian Police, Kiran Bedi continued her educational pursuits and eventually earned a Law degree (LLB) in 1988 from Delhi University, Delhi. In 1993, Kiran Bedi obtained the doctorate title through her Ph.D. from Social Sciences in 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 and had won at the age of 22. Kiran Bedi began her career in1972 as a Lecturer in Political Science at Khalsa College for Women, Amritsar, India. In July 1972, Kiran Bedi joined the Indian Police Service. Kiran Bedi served in a number of tough assignments starting from Traffic Commissoner of New Delhi, Deputy Inspector General of Police in rebellion prone Mizoram, Advisor to the Lieutanent Governor of Chandigarh, Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau and also on a United Nations deputation, where she was appointed as the Civilian Police Advisor in the United Nations peacekeeping department. For the latter assignment, Kiran Bedi was awarded with the UN medal. She is popularly referred to as `Crane Bedi` for towing the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi`s car because of a parking violation, however the prime minister was on tour to United States then.

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. 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, negotiating of complaints by prisoners and literacy programs. Other than the Ramon Magsaysay Award, she was also honored with the `Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship` to write about the reforms done at Tihar Jail.

Kiran Bedi was last appointed as Director General of India`s Bureau of Police Research and Development. In recognition of her "humanitarian approach to prison reforms and policing", Kiran Bedi was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Law in May 2005. On 25th December 2007, Government of India released Kiran Bedi on her appeal of voluntary retirement. "Yes Madam, Sir" was a brilliant documentary made on Kiran Bedi`s life, directed by Australian Megan Doneman. The film was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival September 5, 2008 and earned huge popularity. After retirement Kiran Bedi launched a new website, www.saferindia.com on January 3, 2007. She aimed to help people through this website, whose complaints were not accepted by the local police. After lodging the complaint with proper data, the NGO working for this site mails complaint to the DGP of concerned area. This mail has the status of being used as the legal document in case of filing a case in the court of judgment. This welfare project is undertaken by the non-profit, voluntary and non-government organization, India Vision Foundation.

Kiran Bedi`s contribution to the Indian society has been immense and eternal. Navajyoti and India Vision Foundation are the two major voluntary organizations that austerely aim at improving the condition of the drug addicts and the ignorant people of the society. Her efforts have won national and international recognition. Later her organizations were awarded the Serge Soitiroff Memorial Award for drug abuse prevention by the United Nations. Kiran Bedi has written her autobiography, `I Dare. It`s Always Possible`, which was released in 1998. Kiran Bedi married Brij Bedi in 1972 and three years later, in 1975, they had daughter Saina.

Some of the extraordinary publications by Kiran Bedi are as follows -

Its Always Possible: Kiran Bedi. In October 1999 by Indra Publishing.

"What Went Wrong?" is the collection of the fortnightly column written by Kiran Bedi.

The Motivating Bedi by Kiran Bedi

Awards received by Kiran Bedi -

President’s Gallantry Award (1979)	Women of the Year Award (1980)	Father Machismo Humanitarian Award (1995)	Joseph Beuys Award (1997)	Pride of India (1999)
Asia Region Award for Drug Prevention and Control (1991)	Magsaysay Award (1994) for Government Service	Mahila Shiromani Award (1995)	Lion of the Year (1995)	Mother Teresa Memorial National Award for Social Justice (2005)

Books written on Kiran Bedi are as follows -

‘I Dare!’ biography of Kiran Bedi by Parmesh Dangwal

"Government@net" by Sandeep Srivastava and Parminder Jeet Singh

Kiran Bedi — The Kindly Baton, by Dr Meenakshi Saksena