Traditionally, the Indian civil services have been a male bastion. Back in the 1950s, when the first woman IAS officer was appointed, a woman could be disqualified from service for getting married. Seven decades later, 1 out of 5 secretaries serving in the Government of India is a woman. From corporate to economic affairs, health to legal affairs–women officers are at the helm in several central ministries. At the level of recruitment, in the last few years, 27-30 percent of those who qualify for the civil services have been women.
IAS seeing progress on gender parity- 1 of 5 secretaries at Centre are women
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