Lok Sabha Question No. 6343 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-05
Subject: Representation of Women in Panchayati Raj System
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: MANSHANKAR NINAMA, RAMESH POKHRIYAL NISHANK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6343

TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.04.2018

## Representation of Women in Panchayati Raj System

## †6343. SHRI  MANSHANKAR NINAMA: DR. RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK':

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state:

(a) the  present  number  of  elected  women  representatives  in  Panchayati  Raj  Institutions and their percentage out of total elected representatives;

(b) whether the Government have assessed the effect of growing participation of women in  those  institutions  on  the  basis  of  their  socio-economic  conditions  and  if  so,  the  details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  take  measures  to  increase  the  participation  of women in  Panchayati  Raj  Institutions  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  reasons therefor; and

(d) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  improve  rural  India  and  strengthen  the Panchayati Raj system and the schemes/programmes likely to be started for the same?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ (SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

(a): As per the information available, details of Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and their percentage out of total elected representatives is given at Annexure-I .

(b)  &  (c):  The  73 rd Constitutional  Amendment Act creates space for rural women in grass root politics to increases their participation in decision making process by reserving not less than one-third seats for them at each tier of the Panchayat.  Twenty States namely, Assam, Andhra  Pradesh,  Bihar,  Chhattisgarh,  Gujarat,  Himachal  Pradesh,  Jharkhand,  Karnataka, Kerala,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Odisha,  Punjab,  Rajasthan,  Sikkim,  Tamil  Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand and West Bengal have made provisions for reservation of fifty per cent  seats for women in Panchayats at all levels in  their respective State Panchayati Raj Acts. Enhanced participation of women in PRIs is expected to result in empowerment of rural  women  in  various  aspects,  including  participation  of  women  in  Gram  Sabhas,

enhancement of self-esteem, confidence and decision making abilities and more attention to women related issues such as drinking water, sanitation and child-sex ratio, encouragement for  girls'  enrolment  in  schools  and  mitigation  of  domestic  violence  etc.  Besides,  the  issues concerning  women  and  children  including  achieving  the  Sustainable  Development  Goals (SDGs)  related  to  women,  sanitation  and  children  are  also  more  likely  to  get  focused attention with the women taking over leadership at local levels.

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) issues advisories from time to time to State/ Union Territory (UT) Governments for the empowerment of rural women by ensuring their presence  and  participation  in  Panchayats.    Besides,  MoPR  has  also  been  focusing  on  the capacity  building  of  Elected  Women  Representatives  (EWRs)  of  Panchayats  under  its schemes.

(d): Many flagship programmes and centrally sponsored schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act  (MGNREGA),  Pradhan  Mantri  Awas  Yojana (PMAY), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana, National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY- NRLM), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMVVY), UJJAWALA, SWADHAR,  Support  to  Training  and  Employment  Programme  for  Women  (STEP)  etc. implemented by different Ministries of the Government of India have contributed significantly in the upliftment of rural India.

The MoPR has taken several steps to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the States and UTs through provisioning of financial and technical assistance for States/UTs for the capacity building of PRIs and through issue of advisories from time to time.  Further, the  restructured  scheme  of  Rashtriya  Gram  Swaraj  Abhiyan  (RGSA)  as  appraised  by Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) for implementation from the financial year 2018-19, envisages assistance to States for strengthening the capacities of the Panchayati  Raj Institutions  with  special  focus  on  the  50,000  Gram  Panchayats  (GPs)  covered  by  Mission Antyodaya  and  GPs  falling  in  the  areas  of  115  Aspirational  Districts  identified  by  NITI Aayog.

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Annexure-I Annexure referred to in reply of Part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 6343

## for 05.04.2018 regarding Representation of Women in Panchayati Raj System

| Sl. No.   | State                    | Male      | Female (Elected Women Representatives- EWRs)   | Total     |   %of EWRs |
|-----------|--------------------------|-----------|------------------------------------------------|-----------|------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh           | 78,025    | 78,025                                         | 1,56,050  |      50    |
| 2         | Andaman &Nicobar Islands | 506       | 282                                            | 788       |      35.79 |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh        | 5,725     | 3,658                                          | 9,383     |      38.99 |
| 4         | Assam                    | 13,410    | 13,410                                         | 26,820    |      50    |
| 5         | Bihar                    | 69,504    | 57,887                                         | 1,27,391  |      45.44 |
| 6         | Chandigarh               | 111       | 58                                             | 169       |      34.32 |
| 7         | Chhattisgarh             | 76,998    | 93,287                                         | 1,70,285  |      54.78 |
| 8         | Dadra and Nagar Haveli   | 89        | 47                                             | 136       |      34.56 |
| 9         | Daman &Diu               | 80        | 92                                             | 172       |      53.49 |
| 10        | Goa                      | 1,048     | 516                                            | 1,564     |      32.99 |
| 11        | Gujarat                  | 72,028    | 71,988                                         | 1,44,016  |      49.99 |
| 12        | Haryana                  | 40,536    | 29,499                                         | 70,035    |      42.12 |
| 13        | Himachal Pradesh         | 14,325    | 14,398                                         | 28,723    |      50.13 |
| 14        | Jammu &Kashmir           | 22,678    | 11,169                                         | 33,847    |      33    |
| 15        | Jharkhand                | 30,025    | 30,757                                         | 60,782    |      50.6  |
| 16        | Karnataka                | 54,075    | 50,892                                         | 1,04,967  |      48.48 |
| 17        | Kerala                   | 8,742     | 9,630                                          | 18,372    |      52.42 |
| 18        | Lakshadweep              | 69        | 41                                             | 110       |      37.27 |
| 19        | Madhya Pradesh           | 1,96,491  | 1,96,490                                       | 3,92,981  |      50    |
| 20        | Maharashtra              | 1,18,632  | 1,21,490                                       | 2,40,122  |      50.6  |
| 21        | Manipur                  | 855       | 868                                            | 1,723     |      50.38 |
| 22        | Odisha                   | 50,062    | 49,618                                         | 99,680    |      49.78 |
| 23        | Punjab                   | 67,990    | 29,190                                         | 97,180    |      30.04 |
| 24        | Rajasthan                | 54,327    | 70,527                                         | 1,24,854  |      56.49 |
| 25        | Sikkim                   | 548       | 548                                            | 1,096     |      50    |
| 26        | Tamil Nadu               | 77,624    | 39,975                                         | 1,17,599  |      33.99 |
| 27        | Telangana                | 51,372    | 52,096                                         | 1,03,468  |      50.35 |
| 28        | Tripura                  | 3,640     | 3,006                                          | 6,646     |      45.23 |
| 29        | Uttar Pradesh            | 5,53,725  | 2,72,733                                       | 8,26,458  |      33    |
| 30        | Uttarakhand              | 28,649    | 35,957                                         | 64,606    |      55.66 |
| 31        | West Bengal              | 29,652    | 29,518                                         | 59,170    |      49.89 |
|           | Total                    | 17,21,541 | 13,67,652                                      | 30,89,193 |      44.27 |

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