Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday highlighted the steady rise in women’s participation in the civil services examination. He said women’s representation has grown from three per cent in 1952 to around 30 per cent today.
PM Modi addressed the centenary celebrations of the Union Public Service Commission. He linked the rise to expanding opportunities for women.
“Women’s participation is also increasing day by day in the civil services examination. In 1952, there was only 3 per cent participation of women, but today it is 30 per cent. In the entire history of the UPSC, there have been four women chairpersons, of whom three were appointed after 2014,” he said.
100 years of UPSC is a proud milestone. For a century, it has played an important role in administration and serving people. https://t.co/8mLKPv4jXU
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 1, 2026
The four women who have served as UPSC chairpersons are Rose Millian Bathew, the commission’s first woman chairperson, Rajni Razdan, Preeti Sudan and Alka Sirohi.
“This change is not only about numbers; it shows that the opportunities have increased,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister highlighted the expanding pool of civil services aspirants. He said this growing talent base creates a greater responsibility for the UPSC while selecting candidates for public service.
“In 1976, when the UPSC completed 50 years, 45 per cent of the students who were appearing for the examination had increased,” he said.
PM Modi said selected candidates become representatives of the government at the grassroots level. He stressed the importance of the commission’s role in choosing capable public servants.
“UPSC, in its 100 years, has strengthened its reliability,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister released a commemorative coin, a stamp and the book ‘100 Landmark Judgements: Shaping the Policies of UPSC and Public Service Commissions in India’.
The programme marked the culmination of year-long celebrations that began on October 1, 2025. The celebrations commemorated 100 years since the UPSC’s establishment in 1926.
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