On her 75th birthday, we honor Dr. Kiran Bedi—not just as India’s first woman IPS officer, but as a symbol of grit, integrity and transformative leadership. In a career spanning decades, she redefined what it means to serve with purpose, discipline, and compassion.

In 1972, Kiran Bedi made history by becoming the first woman to join the Indian Police Service. She was the lone woman in a batch of 80 men, standing tall in a system that had never imagined a woman in khaki. But Bedi didn’t just break into the boys’ club—she transformed it.

From Tennis Champion to Top Cop

As a teenager, Kiran Bedi displayed extraordinary discipline and determination—qualities that would later define her career in policing. In 1966, she was crowned the national junior tennis champion, and between 1965 and 1978, she went on to win numerous titles at various national and state-level championships. Her success on the tennis court was only the beginning of a lifetime of trailblazing achievements.

After joining the Indian Police Service in 1972, Bedi served in several states and union territories, including Delhi, Goa, Chandigarh, and Mizoram. She began her career as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Delhi’s Chanakyapuri area and was awarded the President’s Police Medal in 1979 for her outstanding service. Later, she was posted to West Delhi, where she played a key role in reducing crimes against women. As a traffic police officer, she gained national attention for managing traffic during the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Goa in 1983.

Her dedication to public service continued as the Deputy Commissioner of Police for North Delhi, where she launched an anti-drug campaign. This initiative eventually evolved into the Navjyoti Delhi Police Foundation, later renamed the Navjyoti India Foundation in 2007, focusing on education, de-addiction, and community development.

A Lifetime of Leadership and Reform

In May 1993, Bedi was appointed Inspector General (IG) of Prisons in Delhi, where she spearheaded a series of reforms in Tihar Jail—one of Asia’s largest prison complexes. Her humane approach to prison management, including the introduction of meditation, education, and vocational training programs, earned her the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1994.

In 2003, she made history once again by becoming the first Indian and the first woman to be appointed as the head of the United Nations Police and Police Advisor to the UN Department of Peace Operations. She voluntarily retired from the IPS in 2007 to focus on social work and writing. Through her NGO, the India Vision Foundation, she continues to work on prison reform, education, and empowerment.

Between 2008 and 2011, she hosted the popular court-based television show Aap Ki Kachehri, bringing legal awareness to the masses. Bedi was also a prominent face of the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement and entered active politics by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in January 2015. Throughout her journey, Kiran Bedi has remained committed to service, reform, and empowerment—an enduring symbol of courage and change.

As India salutes Dr. Kiran Bedi on her 75th birthday, we don’t just celebrate a career—we celebrate a movement. One that began with a single woman walking into the unknown and ended with a generation of women walking in her footsteps.