New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Tuesday appreciated the growing participation of women in the civil services and hoped that this trend would soon be witnessed in Parliament and state assemblies.
Addressing a gathering of bureaucrats during the Civil Services Day celebrations, the vice president highlighted that the participation of women in the civil services has risen from around 21 per cent in 2016 to almost 31 per cent in 2025.
“Civil services toppers are increasingly women. We have indeed come a long way. Even during my visit to various districts, I am pleased to see women officers serving as the police commissioners, collectors and SPs (Superintendents of Police). This progress stands as a powerful testament to ‘narishakti’ where talent rises above stereotypes and determination wins over every obstacle,” he said.
Radhakrishnan emphasised that the progress is not merely statistical but represents a fundamental shift in the mindset.
“That is the most welcoming trend. It reminds us that when women are given equal opportunities, they do not just succeed, they redefine the meaning of success itself. I am hopeful that we will see similar transformation in the composition of the Parliament and the state legislatures too in the future,” he said.
His comments came following the recent defeat of The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 — intended to implement a 33 per cent quota for women in legislatures after carrying out a delimitation exercise and increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats — in the Lower House.
In his address to the civil servants, the vice president said that a few decades ago, very few women were appointed as district magistrates or police commissioners.
“Even when they were there, their presence was limited to just a handful. But today, the reality has changed significantly,” he said.
Radhakrishnan said that the past decade has seen a remarkable shift as the share of women in civil services has risen from around 21 per cent in 2016 to nearly 31 per cent in 2025, and termed it as “an encouraging and a meaningful transformation”.
“I really appreciate the interest of the women and they are going to contribute equally with the men, maybe more,” he asserted.
The vice president said that the poorest among the poor and their needs have to be taken care of.
Referring to “freebies”, Radhakrishnan said, “We have to grow, we have to create wealth and we have to serve the people who are in need. (But) We should not include everybody. If you include everybody, then everybody will become a beneficiary. Then the money will go out just like that. The real needy people should be helped…,” Radhakrishnan said.
The vice president said that by focusing on last-mile delivery and staying responsive to ground realities, the civil servants “make governance more inclusive, more effective and more impactful”.
Radhakrishnan said that planning an initiative or welfare programme can be done in Delhi, but its results can only be seen in a remote village when it is implemented in the real sense.
The country has achieved several milestones in the last decade and Bharat now occupies a place of pride at the global level, he said.
“From nowhere, we become the fifth largest economy, and from the fifth, we have moved towards the fourth largest economy and I’m sure soon we are going to be the third largest economy of the world,” the V-P added.
On recent technological changes, he said that they are game changers and they will serve as a useful tool for all of us in our own line of work.
Radhakrishnan remembered going to a typewriting institute one hour a day in his younger days to learn typewriting, but over time “we shifted to computers and tablets reflecting the steady march of technology”.
“Now, we have entered the age of artificial intelligence (AI) and other new emerging technologies. Today, as the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, I am leveraging digital platforms to conduct the house proceedings more effectively. We cannot keep away from modern technological changes,” he said.
The vice president asked the civil servants to embrace newer technologies such as AI, machine learning and blockchain, among others, as they offer opportunities for improving efficiency, transparency and citizen service delivery.
He also suggested changes in the recruitment system. He said that some states have not changed their recruitment systems, as any degree holder is allowed to apply for the post of a technician.
“Any degree is good for the colonial mindset because they want only clerks,” Radhakrishnan said, and mentioned that selection of technocrats and those with medical degrees are joining civil services.
Character and integrity are the very foundations of public service, the V-P said, adding that those who are straightforward will always be under pressure.
“Obeying the boss is different. Obeying to the pressure is different. I am not against obeying the boss. But I am always against obeying to the pressure. Pressure is always for doing something we should not. Obeying the boss is always taking the right guidelines from the boss,” he added. PTI AKV SKL AKV SKY SKY
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