TeaThe results of the Civil Services Examination 2022 marked a historic moment with women constituting more than one-third or 34.3 per cent of the candidates recommended for appointment. always the highest Shape. This increase in the representation of women in bureaucratic offices – from the elite Indian Administrative Services to provincial civil services at the state level to the lower judiciary – reflects long-term structural changes in Indian society and economy. While barriers to entry for women in bureaucracy remain and their representation remains inadequate, the increasing number of women in these positions could have wide-ranging implications for governance and policy outcomes.
More women entering Indian bureaucracy
The trend of more women entering the Indian bureaucracy is evident when we examine the long-term pattern in the selection of women in the Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). In 1990, less than one-sixth of recommended candidates were women, rising to nearly one-fifth in the early 2000s. In 2020, more than one-fourth of the selected candidates were women (28.6%). Finally, this figure reaches its highest level in 2022 (Table 1,
Moreover, women candidates are securing the highest ranks in these exams. For example, in CSE 2022, women candidates secured the top four ranks. This has led to an increase in the number of women entering elite services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) – from 11 per cent in the 1980s to 16 per cent in the 1990s to 23 per cent in the 2000s (figure 1,
This trend is not limited to IAS but extends to state level administrative services as well. In Uttar Pradesh, in 2013, less than one-fifth (18.6 percent) of those recruited into the Provincial Civil Services (PCS) were women. This increased more than one-quarter (26.4 percent) in 2020. In the Odisha Administrative Service also, there has been a substantial increase in the number of women officers in the last two decades (Figure 2,
Staff Selection Commission (SSC) data reveals similar trends in the recruitment of women to lower levels of bureaucracy. In 2011, only 8.9 per cent and 7 per cent of the candidates passed the Combined Graduate Level Examination (CGL) and the Combined Higher Secondary Level Examination, were women, After more than a decade, in 2021, the number of successful women candidates constituted 13.8 percent and 14.9 percent.
Finally, the increase in women’s representation extends beyond the administrative bureaucracy. Nearly a third (31.7 percent) in Uttar Pradesh today subordinate judge are women, a significant increase from 21.4 percent in 2019. This figure is likely to increase further due to the higher proportion of women in the recent batches. In UP Judicial Services Exam 2019, more than half Among the selected candidates (51.6 per cent) were women.
How should we understand these broader patterns in gender representation?
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Rise in aspirations and rise in higher education
The increased representation reflects transformative structural changes in Indian society. For example, over time we have seen a significant increase in the number of women appearing for competitive examinations for public employment. The number of women appearing for UPSC (Preliminary) is almost three times 64,320 (or 23.9 percent) of all candidates in 2010 1,77,610 in 2019 (or 31.3 percent of all candidates). Furthermore, this increase is not limited to women of dominant castes only; There has also been a significant increase in the number of women candidates for SC (from 14673 in 2010 to 35262 in 2019), ST (from 5680 to 13411), and OBC (from 18246 to 47459).
The increase in the number of women appearing for public employment examinations reflects the huge increase in the attainment of higher education by women in India. In 1990–91, women constituted almost a third (32.5 percent) of all students enrolled in higher education. By 2016, near gender parity had been achieved with women Formation of 45.9% of all enrolled students. According to the All India Survey on Higher Education 2020-21 report, the gender parity index in higher education in India currently stands at 1.05, indicating that the number of women enrolled in higher education institutions is higher than that of men. In addition, the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education among women now More than ratio among men.
implications of More women In bureaucracy
The increase in the number of women bureaucrats has implications for all three dimensions of representation: descriptive, symbolic and substantive.
Descriptively, it reflects a more equitable society where women, who constitute half of India’s population, find equal representation in bureaucratic institutions. The Indian bureaucracy has historically failed to achieve this goal, but recent trends indicate that the Indian state may be coming closer to reflecting the society it serves.
Symbolically, women in powerful positions such as district magistrates or judges can serve as role models and inspire behavioral change, especially among young girls aspiring to public office, and less prejudice against female bureaucrats.
Basically, an increased presence of women in the bureaucracy can influence policy-making and governance, thereby bringing attention to and prioritizing issues affecting women. Furthermore, the ‘gendered’ nature of citizen-state interactions may change as the number of women officials increases.
cautious optimism
However, it is important to be cautious in being optimistic about the greater number of women entering the bureaucracy. We must be aware of the challenges women face in navigating bureaucracy during their careers. Most of the women bureaucrats we interviewed told us that male dominance and informal networks persist, which makes it challenging to navigate power hierarchies. This qualitative insight is evident in the data. As one analysis showed, the distribution of postings and positions among bureaucrats remains ‘gendered’; Women IAS officers were more likely To be posted in departments related to cultural affairs, education and welfare.
Furthermore, we find that recruitment processes without explicit rules for meritocratic selection may limit women’s representation, particularly in promotion-based entry into higher-level services.
These barriers and ongoing challenges should be a constant reminder that equal representation of women within the Indian state will require consistent efforts to overcome the barriers women face throughout their careers and at many levels . Gender equality cannot be achieved without concerted effort from both outside and inside the bureaucracy.
Anustubh Agnihotri is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Ashoka University.
Pranav Gupta is a PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley. he tweeted @p_gupta93.
(Edited by Prashant)