HYDERABAD: Dr Darpan Ahluwalia, a doctor from Punjab and the overall topper of the 73rd batch of the IPS, had started serving the public even before completing her medical degree.
She started an NGO to spread awareness on breast cancer among women. Later, in 2017, when she completed her MBBS from Government Medical College, Patiala, she extended her services to more women by organising breast cancer screening camps through the NGO Pink Link Campaign.
"Moving from working as a doctor to becoming an IPS officer is not a change of path or career, but I would say it's an extension of what I have been doing in the past. With this new role, I will be more approachable to people, particularly women, as people look to the police as the first resort in any crisis or emergency,” says Dr Ahluwalia.
The 27-year-old takes her inspiration from her grandfather Narinder Singh, who had served in the Punjab police and retired as district attorney and chief law instructor. “It was through him that I got my first exposure to the police. Though he retired a long time ago, I heard a lot from him about how the police can impact society and I decided to become a police officer," she said.
Her short stint at a government tertiary health care centre before cracking the civil services also helped her a lot in realising her goal to become a police officer.
During the training, her experience of interacting with trafficking survivors had moved her a lot. Listening to their stories of fighting and coming out of it helped her understand the importance of the police service, said Dr Ahluwalia who cleared the UPSC exam in her second attempt.
She has also won the Martyr KS Vyas Trophy for Internal Security and Public Order and Fieldcraft and Tactics.