Lok Sabha Question No. 1854 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-06
Subject: Representation of Women in Cabinet and Legislatures
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Prof. Sougata Ray

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1854

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2024

## REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN CABINET AND LEGISLATURES

1854. PROF. SOUGATA RAY:

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of ratio of Women's representation in State Cabinets in the country, State wise;
- (b) the details of ratio of Women's representation in State Legislature Assemblies of the country, State wise;
- (c) the details of ratio of Women's representation in State Legislative Council of the country, State wise;
- (d) the  details  of  ratio  of  Women's  representation  in  the  post  of  Chairman  & Managing Director of Public Sector Undertakings of the country; and
- (e) the details of ratio of Women's representation in the post of Chairman/Managing Director of Public Sector Banks of the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

(a) to (c): The total number of women contesting general elections in the country has increased  from  3%  in  1957  to  10%  in  2024.  The  total  number  of  elected  women members, which was 22 in the First Lok Sabha and 27 in the Second Lok Sabha has increased to 78 in the 17th Lok Sabha and to 75 in the 18th Lok Sabha (which is approximately 14% of the total members). In the Rajya Sabha also, the total number of women members in 1952 was 15, which is 39 at present. It is approximately 17% of  the  total  members.  Further,  the  country  has  about  14.5  lakh  Elected  Women

Representatives (EWRs) in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), which is about 46% of the total elected representatives. There are 21 States in the country who have made provision for 50% reservation for women in PRIs as against constitutional mandate of minimum 33% reservation for women.

The enactment of 'the Constitution (106 th ) Amendment, 2023' which is also referred to as the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' is a landmark legislation towards achieving gender equality and political empowerment of women in India, aligning with the government's broader goal of women-led development to create a more inclusive and representative political system. The law mandates 33% reservation for women in both the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies across the country including the legislature of the Union Territories of Delhi and Puducherry.

India is also among a few countries in the world where a woman is helming the State. This is an exceptional achievement, given the rarity of women holding such a high constitutional position in the countries around the world.

- (d):  As  per  the  Public  Enterprises  Survey  2022-23  of  the  Central  Public  Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), there are total 39 Women Functional Directors on the board of all CPSEs out of total 521 Functional Directors in all CPSEs.
- (e): Details of Women's representation in the posts of Chairman/ Managing Director of Public Sector Banks of the country is as below:

|   S.No. | Designation                |   Sanctioned |   In position |   Men |   Women |
|---------|----------------------------|--------------|---------------|-------|---------|
|       1 | Chairman, SBI              |            1 |             1 |     1 |       0 |
|       2 | Managing Director, SBI     |            4 |             3 |     3 |       0 |
|       3 | MD&CEO, Nationalised Banks |           11 |            11 |    10 |       1 |

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