Despite 33% quota, women’s representation remains low: President Murmu

NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said women continue to be inadequately represented in the judiciary, legislature and executive, despite the passage of the Women’s Reservation Act in 2023, which mandates one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Speaking at the Supreme Court’s Constitution Day celebrations — where only one of the court’s 33 judges is a woman — Murmu said the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is a “historic step” and a tribute to the women who contributed to the Constituent Assembly. “But we still lag in ensuring adequate representation for women across all three wings of governance,” she noted, stressing that a shift in societal mindset is essential to achieve meaningful participation.

SCBA president Vikas Singh highlighted the scale of underrepresentation, pointing out that women comprise just 13% of judges in high courts and 35% in trial courts.

Murmu urged the nation to reflect on how much progress has been made toward the constitutional ideals of justice, equality, liberty and fraternity since the Constitution was adopted on November 26, 1949. “If we have not assessed this in the last 75 years, can we do it in the next 24, when we mark the Constitution’s centenary?” she asked.

Addressing another Constitution Day event in the Central Hall of the old Parliament building, now Samvidhan Sadan, Murmu described the Constitution as the foundation of “our national pride and identity” and a guiding text for advancing India with a “nationalist mindset, free from colonial thinking.” She cited the overhaul of criminal justice laws as an example of shedding colonial-era frameworks. She also said the repeal of Article 370 removed a long-standing obstacle to India’s political integration.

At the Supreme Court function, Murmu praised Chief Justice Surya Kant’s renewed emphasis on mediation, calling it a significant step toward easing the burden of litigation.

CJI Kant noted that a “disquieting gap” persists between constitutional ideals and the lived reality of many citizens — especially the marginalised — for whom access to justice is hindered by high costs, language barriers, distance and delays. He said the judiciary is committed to improving on all these fronts, adding, “The time is ripe for us to reinforce predictability in our judicial approach.”