Feature image courtesy: The Guardian, ThePrint

In a system long defined by hierarchy, patriarchy and rigidity, change often doesn’t arrive with fanfare. Sometimes, it simply walks into a dusty district office, sits behind a desk, and quietly begins the work of rewriting the rules.

That’s what’s happening in West Bengal, a state that now leads the country in the number of women IAS officers. With 84 women IAS officers currently serving across departments and districts, it stands as a powerful reminder that the Indian bureaucracy is evolving, one posting at a time.

A quiet revolution within the steel frame

For decades, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) was largely seen as a male bastion. Women who entered the service often found themselves posted to less “sensitive” departments or facing structural and social barriers that made leadership harder to access.

But the latest data paints a different picture, especially in West Bengal.

According to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), West Bengal has the highest number of women IAS officers in the country, a significant shift in a........

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