Women’s representation in IAS hits record 41%; Jitendra Singh calls it democratisation of opportunity
Women’s representation in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) has reached a record 41 per cent in the 2024 batch, with Union Minister Jitendra Singh describing it as a reflection of the “democratisation of opportunity” in contemporary India.
Interacting with IAS officer trainees of the 2024 batch at the Civil Services Officers’ Institute in New Delhi on Tuesday, the minister said the changing character of India’s civil services mirrors the larger transformation taking place across the country, where access to opportunities is expanding beyond traditional social and regional boundaries.
Addressing the young officers under the Assistant Secretary Programme, Singh said the current generation of civil servants would occupy key leadership positions when India completes 100 years of Independence in 2047, calling it both a privilege and a responsibility.
“India@2047 will belong to you,” he told the trainees, urging them to lead the country’s next phase of governance transformation with innovation, accountability and public service at the core.
The interaction was part of the Assistant Secretary Programme, under which 184 IAS officers of the 2024 batch have been attached to 49 ministries and departments of the Centre for eight weeks between May 4 and June 25, 2026, to gain exposure to policymaking and administrative functioning.
Senior officials present during the programme included Chhavi Bhardwaj, Joint Secretary (Training), Department of Personnel and Training; Shanmuga Priya Mishra, Joint Director at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration; and Kranthi Kumar Pati, Deputy Director at the academy.
Singh said the Assistant Secretary Programme, introduced under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has significantly changed the early administrative exposure available to IAS officers by creating a more confident and policy-oriented civil service.
Highlighting the increasing participation of women in governance and professional spaces, the minister said the nearly 41 per cent representation of women officers reflects broader social changes underway in India. He added that several states which earlier had limited representation in civil services are now producing larger numbers of successful candidates.
The minister also pointed to the diverse educational backgrounds of the trainees, noting that 78 officers in the current batch come from engineering streams, alongside candidates from medicine, law, management and humanities. He said governance today increasingly requires technological understanding and interdisciplinary thinking as administration becomes more data-driven and digitally connected.
Calling for continuous learning and adaptability, Singh encouraged the officers to make use of platforms such as Mission Karmayogi and strengthen their understanding of emerging areas including Artificial Intelligence, digital governance, data analytics and public communication.
He also stressed the need for neutrality, accessibility and ethical conduct in public administration, saying future administrators must combine technological competence with empathy and sensitivity while focusing on meaningful public outcomes rather than visibility.
