Kiran Bedi, Ph.D, is Indias first and highest ranking woman police officer. She joined the Indian Police Service in 1972 and retired in 2007. She is renowned for her innovative yet effective approach to law enforcement, through which she achieved extraordinary success in tough environments. She has worked as the Police Advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, and she has represented India at the United Nations and in numerous international forums.
Since retiring from active police duty, Dr. Bedi has also become an international activist on crime prevention, drug abuse, police and prison reform, womens issues, and human welfare. She founded and runs two nonprofit organizations: Navjyoti and the India Vision Foundation, which provide education, vocational training, and treatment for drug addiction to women and children living in Indias slums, rural areas, and prisons.
For her work, Dr. Bedi has received dozens of international awards and commendations, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service (also known as the Asian Nobel Prize), the United Nations Serge Sotiroff Memorial Award for drug abuse prevention, the Joseph Beuys Award, and the Asia Region Award for Drug Prevention & Control by the International Organization of Good Templars. Dr. Bedi is probably the most decorated police officer in the world. She is consistently voted one of the most admired women in India.
Dr. Bedis activities straddle a staggering range of interests. She holds both a law degree and a doctorate, writes columns for leading newspapers and magazines, and anchors several radio and television shows. She has also been the subject of various books and films, including the 2009 film Yes, Madam, Sir, which has won accolades at several international film festivals. Dr. Bedi is an active public speaker, addressing social, professional, and leadership issues. She is also an Asian tennis champion.
Dr. Bedi is in the Bay Area for the Bay Area premiere of Megan Doneman's documentary on Kiran Bedi, "Yes, Madam, Sir," at 3rd I's 7th Annual South Asian Film Festival in San Francisco. For full festival schedule go to: www.thirdi.org