https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Throwing Away Her Lab Coat for Khaki

Leaving behind a shining career as a biotech engineer and researcher, IPS officer Ms. Niharika Bhatt decided to work for the people of her nation. The result: she is a leading police officer today.
Indian Masterminds Stories

”Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” This famous quote by Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Winston Churchill, stands true when it comes to policing. Depending on the circumstances, the police force needs to adapt themselves to changes by either working hard on the field or by simply being a good listener to a grieving person.

The Senior Superintendent of Police in Karaikal, Puducherry, Ms. Niharika Bhatt stands by this opinion and tries to focus on initiating community-friendly policing in her district.

In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Ms. Bhatt talks about her journey in the service.

IPS officer Niharika Bhatt

FROM A BIOTECH ENGINEER TO AN IPS OFFICER

From the beginning, Ms. Bhatt was keen to be a biotech engineer. Doing scientific researches was where her heartbeat the most. Pursuing her dream, she even got a job as a researcher in biotechnology in the United States.

However, Ms. Bhatt soon realized that the job was quite monotonous and she would rather have a more dynamic job profile. That is when she decided to give the Civil Service examination and cracked the toughest exam of India in her first attempt, with an All India Rank of 146!

“I decided to appear for civil services examination towards the end of 2013. Returning back to India after studying abroad was always part of the plan, so civil services kind of happened as a natural progression of things. It provides a very dynamic work profile, with public dealing, new challenges, and opportunities so it seemed like a perfect fit,” Ms. Bhatt told Indian Masterminds.

She left a biotech research job in the US to serve her nation

WORK DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC

The unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic placed innumerable hurdles in everyone’s life, especially our front-line helpers and police personnel who had to guard the streets in the scorching sun and rain to stop people from roaming around on the streets aimlessly, while the nation faced a strict lockdown.

“The work during the pandemic has been very challenging, especially in terms of balancing requirements of policing and also ensuring that every person under my command stays safe from the disease,” says Ms. Bhatt.

While others were staying in their homes, safe and sound, Ms. Bhatt and her team had been putting in umpteen hours of work. Sharing her experience at the time and talking about how she dealt with the situation, she told Indian Masterminds, “During the first wave of 2020, it was difficult as the disease was new and safety protocols were still being set up. However, now covid 19 appropriate behavior is an obvious part of social conversations and more or less given, so it’s been relatively easier. We have also focused on vaccination among the police officials and we have a pretty high vaccination rate of 90% upwards in the district police force.”

She stood strong on the field during the Covid-19 pandemic.

COMMUNITY POLICING

2015-batch IPS officer, Ms. Bhatt believes in creating a bridge between the police and the administration on one side and the civilians, for whom they work, on the other. It is extremely important to form a kind of alliance between the two parties as, in a way, both the sectors are co-dependent on each other.

To do so, Ms. Bhatt is inducing “community-friendly policing” in her district so that the citizens are not afraid to come to the police for help and in return, the police personnel may be empathetic towards them and listen to work on their issues.

“Community policing is being boosted by forming peace committees comprising of members of different religious communities wherein all the issues related to religious gatherings, events, and festivals are discussed,” she told Indian Masterminds.

The officer promotes community-friendly policing

Moreover, Ms. Bhatt is also raising awareness about Covid guidelines, under the community-friendly policing initiative. “Covid awareness has been a community policing initiative on a massive scale, where the police personnel right from beat constable to SP have been going to villages and markets with loudspeakers to raise awareness about Covid appropriate behavior.”

IPS officer Ms. Niharika Bhatt believes that “Policing is a challenging career. However, women are finding their foothold in the profession over the past decade and there is wide acceptability of women officers.” Her statement stands true as we notice a large number of women personnel in the civil service who are actively sweating out, ensuring peace to people and society.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
NALCO
NALCO Refutes Reports of Capex Deferral, Confirms Rs 30,000 Crore Smelter Expansion is on Track - Know the Matter
Northern-Coalfields-Limited-NCL-Resized
NCL Signs MoU to Support Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities in Singrauli - All Details Inside
Ruchika Chauhan IAS
Leading By Example: Gwalior DC Ruchika Chauhan Arrives At Her Office Boarding An E-Rickshaw! Delivers A Strong Message On World Environment Day
KVIC Khadi and Village Industries
KVIC Disburses Rs. 300 Crore Margin Money Subsidy Under PMEGP to Boost Self-Employment - Details Inside
HUDCO New Logo
HUDCO Champions Green Urban Development on World Environment Day 2025
Mayur Dixit IAS
Who is IAS Mayur Dixit, the New DM of Haridwar? Uttarakhand Bureaucracy in Buzz Amid Land Scam Fallout
Prime Minister’s Museum & Library, Delhi1
IRSME Ashwani Lohani Appointed Director of Prime Minister’s Museum & Library, Delhi - Know More About Him & the Historic Institution
World Environment Day
PSUs Observe World Environment Day 2025 with Strong Commitment to Sustainability and Green Practices - Check Here!
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
Monika Singh’s Life Beyond the Bureaucracy | Video Interview 
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
Modernising Governance: A Digital Transformation in Gangtok
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Abhishek Singh's SECRET: Vipassana, Anthropology & Smart Answer Writing | Video Interview 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Divyanshu Pal Nagar IFS
5 Years, 5 Mains, 4 Interviews: How Divyanshu Pal Nagar Stumbled in CSE, Triumphed in IFS - A Lesson for Every Aspirant
Divyanshu Pal Nagar’s inspiring five-year UPSC journey shows how perseverance, disciplined self-study,...
ANUBHAV SINGH UPSC IFS 2024
9 Years, 8 Attempts, 7 Failures: How Anubhav Singh Cracked UPSC IFS 2024 with AIR 3 Against All Odds | Exclusive
Anubhav Singh’s inspiring journey to UPSC IFS Rank 3 showcases relentless perseverance, strategic preparation,...
Jogender Sihag
“I Cleared UPSC, But My Grandfather isn’t Here to Hear it,” Jogender Sihag, AIR 521, UPSC CSE 2024
"Life is short; make the most of it, whether in civil service or any other field. Just have a clear vision...
Social Media
Tiger jump Sundarban
Stunning Viral Video Shows Royal Bengal Tiger Making Spectacular 30-Foot Leap Across River in Sunderbans - See It Here
Retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda shared the clip online, which quickly went...
shubham kumar ias marriage
IAS Topper Weds BPSC Topper: Shubham Kumar Marries IRS Officer Priyangi Mehta in Patna; Wedding Video Goes Viral
Topper Couple Alert: Shubham Kumar, Priyangi Mehta’s Wedding Grabs Spotlight in Bihar
parveen kaswan elephant
Elephant Outsmarts Electric Fence! IFS Parveen Kaswan Shares Incredible Video!
In the now-viral 51-second clip, the intelligent giant approaches a wooden pole supporting high-voltage...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
NALCO
NALCO Refutes Reports of Capex Deferral, Confirms Rs 30,000 Crore Smelter Expansion is on Track - Know the Matter
Northern-Coalfields-Limited-NCL-Resized
NCL Signs MoU to Support Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities in Singrauli - All Details Inside
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
IMG-20250523-WA0036
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT