First Woman IPS Officer – Who is the First Female IPS Officer of India?
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: November 9th, 2023
Kiran Bedi is the first woman IPS officer in India. As Director-General of the Bureau of Police Research and Development, she stayed in the workforce for 35 years before taking voluntary retirement in 2007. She qualified for the UPSC in 1972. The Bharatiya Janata Party later welcomed her in January 2015. She won several esteemed awards like the Cadet Officer Award, Lion of the Year, Pride of India, IIT Delhi Alumni Award, L’Oreal Paris Femina Women Award, etc.
Table of content
First Woman IPS Officer of India
Kiran Bedi is an Indian social activist, born on 9th June 1949 in Amritsar, India. She began her career as an ASP (Assistant Superintendent of Police) in Chanakyapuri, Delhi, becoming the country’s first IPS officer. After joining the IPS services, she served in various roles, including antiterrorist specialist, narcotics officer, and administrator.
She received the President’s Gold Medal and the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1979 for her outstanding work using a contemporary strategy. A few films, documentaries and TV programs are based on Bedi’s life like Kannadadda Kiran Bedi (2009), Carve Your Destiny (2014), and Karthavyam (1990).
Biography and Facts about Kiran Bedi (First Female IPS Officer of India)
An interesting fact about Kiran Bedi is that she was featured in National Geographic’s Series “Mega Icons” in 2018 which revolves around the life of the first woman IPS officer of India. Kiran Bedi’s educational background is quite strong and she endured the following degrees:
- UG Degree – English (1968);
- PG Degree – Political Science (1970);
- Law Degree (1988);
- PhD – Social Science (1993)
Bedi served as lieutenant governor of the Puducherry Union Territory from 2016 to 2021. She had the following responsibilities and experiences:
1. Traffic Police Officer: Kiran Bedi was in charge of the traffic arrangements for the Asian Games in Delhi in 1982. She has also inspected the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Goa.
2. Deputy Commissioner of Police: As a DCP of Delhi’s North District, she launched the Drug Abuse campaign.
3. Inspector General in Delhi Jail: She received worldwide acclamation for the changes she imposed on several reforms in Tihar Jail.
4. Head of the UN Police and Policy Advisor: She became the first woman who was appointed as the head of the UN Police and Policy Advisor at the UN.
- One of the three All-India Services established under Article 312 of the Indian Constitution is the Indian Police Service (IPS).
- Police Forces in the States and at the Center are led at the senior level by IPS officers.
Related Questions:
