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Polity & Governance GS 2 In the news 8 times

Women's Political Representation in India

India ranks 143rd globally in women's parliamentary representation (as of 2024). Women constitute approximately 14.4% of the 18th Lok Sabha (78 out of 543 members) and about 10% of state legislative assembly members. Despite constituting nearly 49% of the population, women remain significantly underrepresented in elected legislative bodies.

Key details
  • The 73rd and 74th Amendments (1992) led to over 1.4 million women being elected to local bodies (Panchayats and Municipalities), demonstrating the transformative impact of reservation at the grassroots level.
  • Several states including Bihar, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh have 50% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions.
  • The National Perspective Plan for Women (1988) first recommended reservation for women from Panchayat level to Parliament.
  • The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) ranks countries on women's representation; the global average is approximately 26.5%.
  • India's performance in women's political representation lags behind neighbouring countries like Nepal (33.5%) and Bangladesh (20.9%).
In the news

Tracked since March 10, 2026 · last seen April 30, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes

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