Identifying India's First Woman IPS and Puducherry LG

The question asks us to identify a person who holds two significant distinctions: being the first woman to join the Indian Police Service (IPS) and assuming the office of Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry in May 2016. Let's analyze the options based on these criteria.

Analyzing the Options

• Meera Borwankar: She is a well-known IPS officer, known for her tough stance on crime, but she was not the first woman IPS officer.
• Archana Ramasundaram: Another prominent woman IPS officer, she was the first woman head of a central paramilitary force (SSB), but not the first woman IPS officer overall.
• Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya: She was the second woman IPS officer and the first woman Director General of Police (DGP) of a state (Uttarakhand).
• Kiran Bedi: She holds the distinction of being the first woman to join the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1972. She also later served as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, assuming office on May 28, 2016.

Based on the historical facts, Kiran Bedi is the only individual among the options who fits both descriptions mentioned in the question: being the first woman IPS officer and serving as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry from May 2016 onwards.

Conclusion

The person who was India's first woman to join the Indian Police Service (IPS) and who assumed the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry in May 2016 is Kiran Bedi.

Revision Table: Key Figures

Additional Information: Role of Lieutenant Governor and IPS

The Indian Police Service (IPS) is one of the three All India Services. Officers in the IPS are responsible for maintaining public order, preventing crime, and enforcing the law across India. They are recruited through the civil services examination.

A Lieutenant Governor (LG) is the constitutional head of the Union Territories of India. The LG acts as the representative of the President of India and exercises powers as delegated by the President. The role involves administration of the Union Territory, often in consultation with an elected legislative assembly and council of ministers (where they exist, like in Puducherry and Delhi), but the LG retains significant authority, especially in matters related to law and order and finance, depending on the specific Union Territory and relevant acts.

Kiran Bedi's career trajectory from a pioneering IPS officer to a political administrator as LG of Puducherry highlights her diverse public service roles.