Karnataka has just 8.9% women in police force, far behind Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu: Study
Bengaluru: Karnataka has only 8.91% women in its police force, significantly lower than the national average of 12.73%, and is trailing far behind states like Bihar (23.66%), Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, according to a study by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru.
The findings, reported by The Hindu on Saturday, reveal a stark gender gap in the state’s policing system, despite a 25% reservation for women in the force. The NLSIU project study, which surveyed 202 police stations across eight districts, found that nearly two-thirds of these stations had no woman officers in key investigative ranks such as Sub-Inspector (SI), Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), or Police Inspector (PI). Only three stations — two in Mysuru and one in Davangere — had a woman PI, two of which were designated women’s police stations. Additionally, 130 of the 202 stations had no woman SI at all.
Karnataka’s journey toward gender representation has been marked by uneven progress. In 2007, women constituted 5.44% of the police force. This figure rose modestly to over 6% by 2016, but dipped again to 5% in 2017 — the same year the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) flagged the gender shortfall. In response, the state introduced a 20% quota for women, later increased to 25% in 2020. Despite this, the representation has barely crossed 8% as of 2021, and stands at just 8.91% in 2023.
According to the Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission (KARC), at the current pace of recruitment and promotion, it will take over 25 years for the state to meet its own target, added The Hindu.
In contrast, states such as Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu have demonstrated consistent progress, with women's representation in their police forces now exceeding 20%. Karnataka, however, has continued to fall short of the national average since 2012, widening the gap each year.
The study also highlighted that women police personnel, despite contributing significantly to routine police duties, are often excluded from core responsibilities such as investigations, including those involving sexual assault. Instead, they are used for token appearances, such as accompanying survivors or being present during statements.
Devyani Srivastava, Senior Manager (Research) and project lead at NLSIU, mentioned that achieving gender parity is not merely a constitutional requirement, but also an operational imperative. “A police institution with diverse skill sets and lived experiences is better equipped to respond to safety challenges of today. While increasing the share of policewomen is a crucial first step, ensuring gender-responsive policies, facilities, training and infrastructure, at all levels, must go hand in hand for meaningful outcomes,” The Hindu quoted her as saying.
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Odisha: Normalcy returns to violence-hit Malkangiri; internet services fully restored
Malkangiri (PTI): Normalcy returned to Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Monday, nearly a week after around 200 villages were damaged in violent clashes in a village, with the district administration fully restoring internet services, a senior official said.
Additional District Magistrate Bedabar Pradhan said internet services, suspended across the district on December 8 to curb the spread of rumours and misinformation following the clashes, were restored after the situation improved.
The suspension had been extended in phases till 12 noon on Monday.
The administration also withdrew prohibitory orders imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita within a 10-km radius of MV-26 village, where arson incidents were reported on December 7 and December 8.
Though the violence was confined to two villages, tension had gripped the entire district, as the incident took the form of a clash between local tribals and Bengali settlers following the recovery of a headless body of a woman on December 4, officials said.
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The violence broke out after residents of Rakhelguda village allegedly set ablaze several houses belonging to Bengali residents, forcing hundreds to flee. The headless body of Lake Podiami (51), a woman from the Koya tribe, was recovered from the banks of the Poteru river on December 4, while her head was found six days later at a location about 15 km away.
Officials said the district administration held several rounds of discussions with representatives of the tribal and Bengali communities, following which both sides agreed to maintain peace.
Relief and rehabilitation work has since been launched at MV-26 village, with preliminary assessment pegging property damage at around Rs 3.8 crore.
A two-member ministerial team headed by Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo visited the affected village, interacted with officials and locals, and submitted a report to the chief minister.
So far, 18 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, the officials said, adding that despite the withdrawal of prohibitory orders and restoration of internet services, security forces, including BSF and CRPF personnel, continue to be deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
On Sunday, Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi visited MV-26 and neighbouring Rakhelguda villages, and held discussions with members of both communities as part of efforts to rebuild confidence and restore peace.
More than two lakh Bengali-speaking Bangladeshis were rehabilitated by the Centre in Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts in 1968, and they currently reside in 124 villages of Malkangiri.
