Kiran Bedi, Ramon Magsaysay Awardee

I had set up Navjyoti India Foundation in 1986. This foundation was first of its kind as it wasset up by a serving police officer at that time. The foundation just happened by coincidence. Slums in area of Yamuna Bank were a hub of crime, drug pedaling, prostitution, garbage picking, and children in burglar groups. It was the area in my beat for crime prevention. Policing for me stands for prevention than for detection. That is why when the December 2012 Delhi gang rape happened, I kept on shouting at the top of my voice that this was a preventable crime. According to me prevention can be so intensive that a lot can be achieved through it. I have always questioned myself for why should I not work on prevention before detection of crime?

From the belief in this power of prevention my foundation Navjyoti was born.  I set up drug addiction treatment centers in Delhi Police Stations. We called it Navjyoti as it was new hope for people who actually needed help.  We started off with 8 drug abuse treatment centers in Delhi Police Stations. We set up vocational schools for women in drug pedaling, we set up primary schools for children to prevent them from begging. The foundation started in 1986 and it moved on with me. 16 other serving police officers became the founders of Navjyoti as we all believed in the power of prevention. I believe that we all are in a position to give out some time for community service and we all can volunteer for a cause that has an impact on the growth of our country. Continue reading →