From Breaking Glass Ceiling To Making History, IPS Officers Who Made Headlines

It's been a mixed bag, the year 2021. It gave us hope that humanity exists in terms of people going outside their duty to help others but at the same time the second wave of COVID-19 shook our very foundation as a people. Police officers were at the forefront of leading many operations during the pandemic. Against all odds, here are the female officers who made headlines for all the good reasons.

Not only did these women officers show us how to break glass ceilings, but they also showed that women in 2021 made their space in top-ranking jobs and inspired younger girls to dream of themselves in a Khaki uniform. From Ranjeeta Sharma IPS to Reema Rajeshwari, quite a number of women made headlines in news for their feats in police service in India.

Here is a list of five women Indian Police officers that inspired us into getting back in our groove and aspiring for more:

1. IPS Officer Ranjeeta Sharma

A young trainee, who created history. Ranjeeta Sharma became the fifth woman in the history of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad to command the Dikshant Passing Out Parade. The parade marks the summit of the 11 months of training of the IPS officer trainee in the National Police Academy. Ranjeeta Sharma is born in Faridabad, Haryana and is a post-graduate from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi.

2. IPS Officer Nina Singh

Nina Singh smashed the glass ceiling by becoming the first woman officer in Rajasthan to become the Director-General (civil rights and anti-human trafficking) in September this year. From the batch of 1989 of the Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, she was formerly posted as ADG (Training) in Rajasthan Police. In October 2020, she received Ati Utkrisht Seva Medal (AUSM) by the Ministry of Home Affairs for professional excellence. Read more.

3. IPS Officer Chhaya Sharma

The officer who investigated and nabbed the convicts in the 2012 Delhi Gangrape case, returned to Delhi Police on December 7, 2021 as the Joint Commissioner of the Economic Offence Wing. Sharma is the IPS officer from the batch of 1999 and was part of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory cadre. In the past, she has also served as the first woman DCP South Delhi. Sharma never fails to inspire us. Read more.

IPS Officer Chhaya Sharma

4. IPS Officer Rema Rajeshwari

The officer has been in news for quite some years now. Whether it be raising awareness on plastic pollution or tackling fake WhatsApp forwards, Rema Rajeshwari from Idukki in Kerala was always at the forefront. Recently she was recognised by the Forbes India magazine for her efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018, she also emerged as the first woman IPS officer from Munnar.

5. IPS Officer Benita Mary Jaikar