DR KIRAN BEDI, 's first and highest ranking female police MY WORLD officer and former Inspector General of Prisons Woman of steel

I HAVE NEVER BEEN AFRAID OF AUTHORITY, right from school. Courage was reinforced at home. It started with small victories like addressing eve-teasing and went on to tackle larger issues.

I have always been a rebel, and spoken food, and argue and strategise before I draw strength from family. out against what I thought was unjust. tennis tournaments. My husband, Shri Brij Bedi, and I have worked for human rights, At university I won the national my parents, Prakash and Prem women's rights and police reform. junior tennis championships. I have Peshawaria, have been true pillars enjoyed being the first student to of strength. My childhood is filled with beautiful hold an academic scholarship and Brij was a fellow tennis player, memories. a championship title. I topped the a textile engineer and is a social I was taught by Belgian Catholic nuns Punjab University in my Masters activist in . He runs a school at the Sacred Heart School in Amritsar, in Political Science. I was always for children of parents who arc into Punjab. They tried to teach me to knit, unanimously elected to represent my substance abuse. Most of the children stitch and embroider, but I was much classes for various activities. I was are fatherless. My daughter, Saina, too tomboyish. Instead I participated an orator, best athlete and best and son-in-law, Ruzhbeh Bhurucha in all outdoorsy activities. NCC (National Cadet Corps) cadet, are documentary makers. They help Every day I played tennis with my and a national junior and senior with my work with NGOs. I am also sisters - Shashi, Reeta and Anu. (I am tennis champion and an Asian Tennis a grandmother to nine-month- the second child.) Those days were Champion in 1972, months before old Meher. fun. We would voraciously eat mum's I joined the . Brij has been a silent supporter and my mother provided me with SNAPSHOTS I received is the Annemarie- her inexhaustible strength and love. Madison prize for human rights. Without my wonderful family, Recognition and awards I wouldn't have been able to reach I cannot ask for more Me and my books where I am today. recognition. The amount of I have a biography titled I Dare love, respect and devotion by Parmesh Dangwal. The book A career of fearless commitment. I've received is unbelievable has been translated into many My formative years groomed me for a person in the police regional Indian languages. to take on the challenges of the service. My own life has been My fortnightly column Indian Police Service. I became the one of devotion to the service. written for a daily was first and highest ranking woman to I have received many awards published in What Went qualify as an officer, and never - from the President's Wrong? It is a compilation of looked back. Gallantry Award in 1979 to 37 real-life stories. Justice has always been all- the Ramon Magsaysay Award in I authored It's Always important to me. I loved the discipline 1994, Award for Possible to document the This photo was taken that came with the job and the power. Social Justice in 2005 and the transformation of one of the during my visit to I had the resources to deliver justice. Public Service Excellence Award largest prisons (the Bahrain last month where When I was the Inspector General last year. in ) in the world. I was a guest speaker to - Prisons of Tihar Jail from 1993 Each award I have It is accompanied by honour the late Indian to 1995 with over 10,000 inmates, received is close to my heart. a CD ROM with the same Ladies Association's I attempted to humanise Farh a trpasnrp of rpsnpct title oroduced bv India (ILA) founding member, imprisonment. I based the prison