Satbir Bedi

SATBIR BEDI was an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer for thirty-five years. As Delhi’s director of education, she designed a system of state-run, magnet-like schools that helped underprivileged children become scientists, doctors, engineers, civil servants and statisticians. She helped launch the Pulse Polio programme, which ultimately eradicated the disease from India. Later, she served as chief electoral officer for Delhi, overseeing the creation of the city’s first photo-verified voter rolls and initiating a massive media campaign to encourage voter turnout. Satbir earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree at St John’s College, Agra and a PhD in psychology at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.