There is no opportunity, no possibility that has been left un-attempted by today’s women. As a result of the triumphs and struggles faced by women of the 20th century, we presently see a world which gives an equal priority to women without discrimination. If not for such efforts, women would have been bound within the boundaries the society had set for them. I salute these female IPS officers who are the role models for a better India.
Let us have a look at such women who have successfully established foothold in a profession which was earlier not considered a career alternative.
1. Kiran Bedi
She needs no introd
uction, being the first and the highest ranking woman officer. Having joined the service in the year 1972, Kiran Bedi became the role model for many future IPS aspirants. She has been bestowed with many prestigious awards for her remarkable contribution, including the United Nations Medal, President’s Gallantry Award, Magsaysay Award and many more. She has been the inspiration for many films and has also penned down a few books. A woman who is admired the most and has gone down the memory lane as one of the most influential women India has witnessed.
2. Vimla Mehra
She is the second officer; post Ki
ran Bedi, to head Tihar as Director General (2012). During her tenure, she introduced vocational programmes to train prisoners in employment oriented skills. She played a pivotal role in the launch of a dedicated helpline, 1091, for women while she was heading ‘Crime Against Women’ (CAW) and also promoted self defense programmes. She is the first woman to attain the crucial post of Special Commissioner of Police, Administration, where her primary focus will be safety and security of women.
3. Damayanti Sen
She is Kolkata’s first woman joint commissioner of police and was instrumental in cracking the infamous Park Street rape. Where her counterparts blamed the victim for maligning the government and police, her efforts were quite against it. It is rumored that her transfer was triggered as a result of this. Undoubtedly, our country needs undeterred police officers like her.
4. B. Sandhya
She is the Additional Director General of the Kerala Police. She joined IPS in the year 1988 and there has been no looking back for her since then. She has played a pivotal role in implementing the community policing project by the name “The Janamaithri Suraksha Project”. She was awarded the President’s Police Medal for her Meritorious Service by the Kerala Police in 2006. Apart from serving for the nation she is creatively involved in writing and already has 5 books to her name.
5. Meera Borwankar
She became the first woman to head the Mumbai’s Crime Branch Department in the year 2001. For her contribution she has received the President’s Medal in 1997, apart from Police Medal and Director General’s Insignia. She is known for being a tough officer and during her service with the state Crime Department (1993-95), she investigated the much publicized Jalgaon sex scandal which involved many local politicians.
6. Kanwaljeet Deol
She was appointed as Deputy General of NHRC (National Human Rights Commission) in 2012 is likely to be appointed as Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs. Her focus has always been to create an effective police force and believes that policewomen like her give this profession a more palatable image.
7. Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya
She became the first female IPS officer to become the Director General of Police and was the second IPS officer, after Kiran Bedi. For her meritorious service she was awarded President’s Medal and Rajiv Gandhi Award for being an outstanding achiever. She has recently joined AAP to contest for the 2014 elections from Haridwar. Her inspirational story led to the making of the famous TV serial ‘Udaan’ which was directed by her sister Kavita Chaudhary.
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