Kiran Bedi... The Ex Top Cop, The able Administrator

Know Kiran Bedi and Her Supper Contributions

Why She qualifies for CM of Delhi.

Kiran Bedi (born 9 June 1949) is an Indian politician, social activist, former tennis player and a retired police officer. Bedi joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1972, becoming its first woman officer.

She started her career as a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in Chanakyapuri area of Delhi, and won the President's Police Medal in 1979. 

Next, she moved to West Delhi, where she brought a reduction in crimes against women. 

Subsequently, as a traffic police officer, she oversaw traffic arrangements for the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi and the 1983 CHOGM meet in Goa. As DGP of North Delhi, she launched a campaign against drug abuse, which evolved into the Navjyoti Delhi Police Foundation (renamed to Navjyoti India Foundation in 2007).

Bedi's first posting was to the Chanakyapuri subdivision of Delhi in 1975. The same year, she became the first woman to lead the all-male contingent of the Delhi Police at the Republic Day Parade in 1975. 

Bedi was awarded the President's Police Medal for Gallantry (1979), in October 1980.

In 1979, Bedi was posted to the West District, where there were not enough officers to handle the high volume of criminal activity. 

To compensate, she started recruiting civilian volunteers. Each village in the district was night patrolled by six civilians led by an armed policeman. 

She enabled anonymous reporting of any knowledge about crimes.She clamped down on bootlegging and the illicit liquor business to reduce crimes in the area. 

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

She 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. She regularly asked people if they knew about the beat constable assigned to their area, and also walked with the constables to raise their self-esteem. 

Within 3 months, there was a reduction in crimes. There was a drop in cases related to "eve-teasing" (sexual harassment of women) and wife beating. This gained her the goodwill of local women, who also volunteered their services to help fight crime in the area

To raise funds for traffic guidance materials, Bedi presented Asian Games traffic management plan to a group of sponsors. The sponsors committed to providing road safety and other educational material worth 3,500,000. She also bought traffic police jeeps for her officers; for the first time, four wheelers were allocated to inspectors in the traffic unit

After the Asian Games were over, she was given Asian Jyoti award for excellence. 

She refused to accept the award for herself alone, and recommended that it be given to entire traffic unit.

While in Mizoram, she completed a major part of her Ph.D. research. (Later, in September 1993, she was awarded a doctorate by IIT Delhi's Department of Social Sciences, for her thesis on Drug Abuse and Domestic Violence.)

Bedi decided to turn Tihar into a model prison. She introduced several reforms. She arranged separate barracks for the hardened criminals, who used their time in prison to recruit gang members, sell contraband and extort money.

For other prisoners, Bedi arranged vocational training with certificates, so that they could find a job after their release. During her tenure, Indira Gandhi National Open University and National Open School set up their centers inside the prison. Legal cells were set up to help the undertrials. Bedi banned smoking in the prison. The move faced a lot of resistance from the staff as well as the prisoners. She introduced yoga and Vipassana meditation classes for to change the prisoners' attitudes. 

She organized additional activities such as sports, prayer, and festival celebrations. She also established a de-addiction center, and pulled up or imprisoned the staff members involved in drug supply. 

A bank was also opened inside the prison. A bakery and small manufacturing units, including carpentry and weaving units, were set up in the jail. The profits from the products sold were put into the prisoners' welfare fund.

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

She 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. She also established petition boxes so that prisoners could write to the IG about any issue. While the jail had suggestion boxes earlier too, the jail staff would destroy the complaints received through these boxes. On the other hand, the prisoners writing to Bedi received acknowledgment and information about the status of their petition

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 in the jail. Even the hardened criminals, who had been isolated in separate barracks, started behaving well. Bedi then arranged for them to attend education and meditation courses.

Bedi's reform programme at Tihar received worldwide acclaim
Bedi was posted as head of training at the police academy on 4 May 1995. Her designation was Additional Commissioner (policy and planning). She served as the Joint Commissioner of Police of Delhi Police. Later, she served as the Special Commissioner (Intelligence) of Delhi Police.. On 5 April 1999, she was appointed as Inspector-General of Police in Chandigarh.

In 2003, Bedi became the first woman to be appointed the United Nations civilian police adviser. She worked in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. In 2005

She was made the Director General, Home Guards. Before her retirement, she was serving as the Director General of the Bureau of Police Research and Development.

Dr Bedi gave over 40 years of life in Public service. Her entire span of life she gave for social reforms and human progress 

Does she not the most Deserving person as CM who can provide Good, efficient and corruption free governance for Delhi?

Is there any comparison between Arvind Kejriwal and Dr Kiran Bedi? 

Dr Bedi has proven track record of 40 years and  Arvind Kejriwal has nothing to prove except promises? The promises he failed to deliver last time. 

Ajay Angre
Author, Writer, Publisher