Former IPS Officer Kiran Bedi Suggests Civil Defence as Buffer Between Police and Student Protesters
Expresses concern over Delhi Police's handling of Jantar Mantar protest; proposes alternative crowd-control model
By Zinnia Balli / Babushahi Network Bureau
New Delhi/ Chandigarh, July 23, 2026:
Former IPS officer and former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, Kiran Bedi, has expressed concern over the recent handling of student protesters by the Delhi Police at Jantar Mantar and has proposed an alternative model for managing such demonstrations.
In a detailed post on X, Bedi, drawing upon her experience as a seasoned police officer, suggested that governments should consider deploying Civil Defence personnel as the first line of response during student protests, with riot police remaining in reserve and intervening only if the situation escalates.
Calling it a "safer option" to avoid direct confrontation between students and the police, Bedi proposed that trained Civil Defence volunteers—comprising young men and women already serving in Civil Defence and Home Guards—should be deployed ahead of riot police. According to her, the riot police should remain at a distance and step in only if the Civil Defence line is overrun or faces a serious threat.
She compared the proposed arrangement to the country's border security model, where the Border Security Force (BSF) serves as the first line of defence before the Army is engaged.
Bedi further suggested that Civil Defence personnel should be equipped with protective gear such as helmets, body armour and cane shields, but should not carry batons. Such an approach, she said, would place the responsibility on protesters to maintain peace while reducing the chances of direct clashes with armed police.
She also argued that Civil Defence personnel could serve as neutral witnesses during protests, thereby helping to reduce allegations and counter-allegations against either the police or demonstrators.
Commenting on media coverage of protests, Bedi observed that television channels often highlight injured police personnel, while social media tends to focus on injured protesters. "Both reveal only one side. The real casualty is accountability," she wrote.
https://youtube.com/shorts/jUbajuFuZ0s?si=GJFdqr_QH2PwE38O
Emphasising the need to address public grievances before they escalate into street protests, Bedi recommended that every public office should have a fixed daily public hearing hour and a transparent grievance-tracking system. "Hear people early, resolve issues promptly, and many street confrontations can be prevented," she said.
Her observations come amid continuing debate over the policing of recent student protests in the national capital.
Know More About Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi (born June 9, 1949, in Amritsar) is a trailblazing Indian social activist, author, and retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. As the country's first woman IPS officer (joined in 1972), she pioneered major prison reforms, served as the first Indian head of the United Nations Police, and later became the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.
Early Life and Education
Born into a business family in Punjab, Bedi was a highly accomplished athlete in her youth and became a National and Asian Tennis Champion. She pursued higher education extensively, earning a bachelor’s in English (1968), a master’s in political science (1970), a law degree (1988), and a Ph.D. in social science (1993). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Landmark Police Career
Bedi made history on July 16, 1972, by becoming the first female officer in the Indian Police Service. During her 35-year tenure, she earned the nickname "Crane Bedi" early in her career when she boldly towed away then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s illegally parked car. As Inspector General of Delhi Prisons, she transformed the massive Tihar Jail complex by eliminating human rights abuses and implementing education, meditation, and drug rehabilitation programs. This historic overhaul earned her the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1994.
United Nations & Activism
In 2003, Bedi became the first woman and first Indian to be appointed as the Civilian Police Advisor in the United Nations Department of Peace Operations. She retired from the IPS in 2007 to focus on social advocacy. She founded two prominent NGOs: the Navjyoti India Foundation (focusing on education, vocational training, and drug rehabilitation) and the India Vision Foundation
Political and Later Career
Bedi became a prominent figure in the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement alongside Anna Hazare. In 2015, she formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). From 2016 to 2021, she served as the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Puducherry, chronicling her experiences in public administration in her recent book, Fearless Governance.
( Source: Wikipedia )