Women Representation in IAS Reaches record 41%:It Reflection of Democratisation of Opportunity in contemporary India

Newdelhi:27/5/26:Referring to nearly 41 percent representation of women officers in 2024 batch of IAS, marking one of the highest-ever gender participation in the history of the IAS, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh today said that the changing character of India’s Civil Services mirrors the transformation taking place across the country, where access to opportunity is expanding beyond traditional social and regional boundaries and young Indians are shaping a new governance culture driven by aspiration, technology and accountability.

Interacting with IAS Officer Trainees of the 2024 batch at the Civil Services Officers’ Institute (CSOI), Vinay Marg, New Delhi, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the officers entering service today are uniquely placed in history, as they will occupy leadership roles at the peak of their careers when India completes 100 years of Independence in 2047. He described the moment as both a privilege and a responsibility, saying the future course of India’s governance journey would largely be shaped by this generation of civil servants.

The interaction formed part of the Assistant Secretary Programme under which 184 IAS officers of the 2024 batch have been attached with 49 Ministries and Departments of the Government of India for eight weeks from May 4 to June 25, 2026, to gain first-hand exposure to policy making, coordination mechanisms and administrative functioning at the Centre.

Senior officials present during the programme included Shri Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Additional Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT); Shri P. Bala Kiran, Joint Secretary, DoPT; Ms. Chhavi Bhardwaj, Joint Secretary, DoPT; Ms. Shanmuga Priya Mishra, Joint Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA); and Shri Kranthi Kumar Pati, Deputy Director, LBSNAA.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said the Assistant Secretary Programme, introduced under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, has fundamentally changed the early administrative exposure available to young IAS officers. Recalling the evolution of the initiative over the last decade, he said the programme has helped create a generation of officers that is more confident, policy-oriented, and institutionally connected from the very beginning of service. Describing India@2047 as a national mission rather than merely a milestone, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the officers of this generation would become the principal drivers of India’s rise in the coming decades. He urged them to approach public service with humility, discipline, and a larger sense of national purpose.