Nari Shakti: Women In Bureaucracy, From Exclusion To Empowerment

This progressive move paved the way for women in the newly independent nation to enter elite services like the IAS and IPS — domains that had previously been restricted only to men.

A Barrier Broken

In the immediate years after Independence, the idea of women in administrative or policing roles was viewed as unconventional, even controversial. The civil services — a pillar of India’s governance — were almost exclusively male, with little to no room for women in leadership roles.

But change began to unfold as soon as women were allowed to compete for positions in the civil services. Not only did it provide them with access to the country's administrative machinery, but it also laid the foundation for more inclusive governance.

Trailblazers With Badges

Anna Rajam Malhotra, who joined the IAS in 1951, became the first woman to break into this male-dominated sphere. Her exemplary career inspired generations of women to pursue similar ambitions.

Then, in 1972, Kiran Bedi broke yet another glass ceiling by becoming the first woman to join the IPS. Known for her fearless approach and reform-oriented policing methods, Bedi became an icon of strength and resilience in public service.

These pioneers achieved more than personal milestones, as they challenged deeply entrenched gender norms and helped normalise the presence of women in the highest echelons of administration and law enforcement.

Progress In Numbers: A Long Way To Go

Despite the early breakthroughs, women’s representation in civil services remains modest. According to an India Justice Report published in 2025 (based on data up to January 2023), women comprise only 12 per cent of India’s 5,047 IPS officers.

Since 2020, the number of fresh IPS officers receiving training is about 200 per year. In the 2021 batch, women made up 23 per cent, which rose to 28 per cent in 2024.

In the IAS, women make up only 13 per cent of the total 11,569 officers recruited between 1951 and 2020, according to a dataset presented by Ashoka University. Encouragingly, the proportion of women who are directly recruited into the IAS has grown steadily — from 15 per cent in the 1970s and 25 per cent in the 2000s, to 34 per cent in 2024. At present, 21 per cent of serving IAS officers are women.

However, state-wise disparities are stark. West Bengal leads the pack with women making up almost half of its cadre strength of IAS officers, with Punjab following closely at 45 per cent, and Delhi (43 per cent), Haryana (36 per cent), Kerala (35 per cent) coming up after them.

On the other end of the list, states like Gujarat and Chhattisgarh (8 per cent each), Jammu and Kashmir (11 per cent), Maharashtra (14 per cent), and Bihar (16 per cent) lag far behind.

Challenges Beyond Policy

Many ask why women’s representation is still so low, considering that legal barriers were removed as far back as 1948. The answer lies not in the laws but in societal norms. Deep-rooted patriarchal values continue to discourage women from pursuing demanding careers like the civil services.

Gender expectations, lack of family support, and concerns over work-life balance, often deter talented women from joining or staying in service. Until Indian society undergoes a generational transformation in how it perceives the role of women in society, true equality in public service will remain aspirational.

Women In Civil Services Matter

Women make up nearly half of the country’s population. For governance to be truly representative and responsive, women must have a proportional voice in shaping laws, executing policy, and administering justice.

Having more women in positions of authority is especially important in addressing gender-specific issues like domestic violence, safety, and access to education and healthcare.

Moreover, the private sector has made strides in creating inclusive workplaces with flexible policies to retain female talent. The government sector, too, must evolve to leverage this vast reservoir of potential — through policy, infrastructure, and attitudinal changes.

The Journey So Far

The journey of Indian women in bureaucracy is a powerful story of courage and transformation, but it also highlights the persistent gaps in representation.

Role models like Kiran Bedi, Nirupama Rao, Chokila Iyer, and Anna Rajam Malhotra serve as beacons of inspiration. Their stories prove that the only unbreakable glass ceiling is the one built in the mind.

Empowering women to compete and get selected for the civil services is not just about fairness, but also about building a more just, responsive, and effective administrative system for all of India.