Kiran Bedi

Kiran Bedi The first woman to join the coveted Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1972. Kiran Bedi is truly an icon of heroism.

Kiran Bedi was born in Amritsar, Punjab state, India. She is the second of the four daughters of her parents, Prakash Lal Peshawaria and Prem Lata Peshawaria. She did her schooling from the Sacred Heart Convent School, Amritsar, where she joined the National Cadet Corps (NCC). She also took up tennis. Later, she obtained her B.A. in English (Hons.) (1964-68) from the Government College for Women, Amritsar. She then earned a Master’s degree (1968-70) in Political Science from Punjab University, Chandigarh, topping the University .

Carrer:

Even while in active service in the Indian Police, she continued her education,and obtained a LLB in 1988.She did her Ph.D. in 1993.

Kiran Bedi won the Junior National Lawn Tennis Championship in 1966, the Asian Lawn Tennis Championship in 1972, and the All-India Interstate Women's Lawn Tennis Championship in 1976, besides this she also won the all-Asian tennis champion, and had won the Asian Ladies Title at the age of 22.

She began her career as a Lecturer in Political Science (1970-72) at Khalsa College for Women, Amritsar, India. In July 1972, she joined the Indian Police Service. On her web site, she states that she joined the police service "because of my urge to be outstanding".

She was last appointed as Director General of India's Bureau of Police Research and Development. On 27 November 2007, she had expressed her wish to take Voluntary Retirement from job to take up new challenges in life.On 25 December 2007, Government of India decided to relieve Bedi.

After retirement Kiran Bedi launched a new website, www.saferindia.com, on January 3, 2007. The motto of this website is to help people whose complaints are not accepted by the local police. This project is undertaken by the non-profit, voluntary and non-government organisaton, India Vision Foundation.

Awards:

Kiran Bedi has received a number of Awards, including the following:

• President’s Gallantry Award (1979)
• Women of the Year Award (1980)
• Asia Region Award for Drug Prevention and Control (1991)
• Magsaysay Award (1994) for Government Service
• Mahila Shiromani Award (1995)
• Father Machismo Humanitarian Award (1995)
• Lion of the Year (1995)
• Joseph Beuys Award (1997)
• Pride of India (1999)
• Mother Teresa Memorial National Award for Social Justice (2005)

Leila Seth(Judge)

Justice Leila Seth was the first woman judge on the Delhi High Court and the first woman to become Chief Justice of a state High Court.

The first woman Judge of the Delhi High Court, the first woman to top the Bar examinations in London, the first woman Chief Justice to the High Court in India. She graduated as an IAS officer in 1958.

She was born in Lucknow in October 1930, She studied law with her husband.They had three remarkable childrens. Enrolled in the Calcutta High Court on 16-7-1959. Enrolled in the Supreme Court of India on 7-9-1959. She practised in Patna High Court for about ten years.

She was the first woman to top the London Bar exams in 1958. She handled a large number of Tax matters (Income Tax, Sales Tax, Excise and Customs), Civil, Company and Criminal cases as also Matrimonial suits and writ petitions. In 1978, she was appointed as the first woman judge on the Delhi High Court. In 1991, she was appointed the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh.

Additional Judge of the High Court of Delhi w.e.f. 25.7.1978. Appointed permanent Judge on 18.7.1980. Due to retire on 20.10.1992.