10 March 2025 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis

1. The empowerment of India’s women with bold policies

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 8)

Sanitation and Clean Water Initiatives

• The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has transformed sanitation by constructing toilets, especially in rural areas, improving women’s dignity, safety, and well-being.
• Over 116 million households have benefited, reducing open defecation and ensuring a cleaner, healthier environment.
• A self-help group in Rourkela built community toilets for marginalized leprosy patients, enhancing menstrual hygiene and generating income through composting.
• The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was launched to provide tap water connections to every household.
• Before JJM, only 17% of rural households had tap water, forcing women to spend hours fetching water.
• Now, over 150 million households have tap water, reducing this burden and increasing women’s participation in agriculture and allied sectors by 7.4%.
• Rural women’s workforce participation rose from 24.6% in 2017 to 41.5% in 2023, with JJM playing a crucial role.

Women-Led Businesses and Financial Inclusion

• Women entrepreneurs are becoming key drivers of India’s economy, supported by government initiatives.
• Over 73,000 startups with at least one female director have been recognized under Startup India.
• Financial support programs like Stand-Up India and Mudra Yojana have provided:
  • ₹53,609 crore in loans to 236,000 entrepreneurs under Stand-Up India.
  • ₹32.36 lakh crore in loans under Mudra Yojana, with 68% of loans going to women.
• Digital expansion through BharatNet and PM-WANI has brought high-speed internet to 199,000 villages and 2,14,000 gram panchayats, supporting women’s access to banking and e-commerce.
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana has enabled over 300 million women to open bank accounts, fostering financial independence.
• Women entrepreneurs are growing in government procurement, with 8% of sellers on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and ₹46,615 crore in contracts secured by over 100,000 Udyam-verified micro and small enterprises (MSEs).
• Digital platforms are helping small-scale women entrepreneurs expand their businesses beyond local markets.

Women in Governance

• 33% reservation for women in legislative bodies is transforming political representation.
• Women now make up 46% of elected representatives in panchayati raj institutions (PRIs), with 1.4 million women serving in rural governance.
• Women leaders are driving policies that improve healthcare, education, and public safety, making governance more inclusive.

Women in Various Sectors

• Women now make up 43% of STEM graduates, strengthening India’s technical workforce.
• Government policies are fostering progress in entrepreneurship, education, and financial inclusion, creating opportunities for sustainable development.
• Ensuring continued support for these initiatives will lead to lasting economic and social transformation.

Conclusion

• India’s commitment to women’s empowerment is reshaping economic and social landscapes.
• By sustaining these initiatives, women will continue to play a transformative role in governance, business, and community leadership, ensuring long-term national progress. 

2. Closing the gender gap in the higher judiciary

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 9)

Progress Over the Last Century

• Women in law have made significant advancements in India over the past 100 years.
• The first woman lawyer was entitled to practice in 1924.
• Since then, the number of women lawyers has increased, with several being designated as Senior Advocates.
• Women judges are present in the lower judiciary, marking progress in legal representation.

Inequality in Higher Judiciary

• Despite progress, women still face a glass ceiling in the higher judiciary.
• Women make up only 14.27% of judges in High Courts (109 out of 764).
• Some High Courts have only one woman judge, while three High Courts have none.
• The largest High Court has only three women judges, which is just 2% of the total strength.
• Women are also appointed later than men, reducing their chances of reaching senior positions.
• Only one High Court currently has a woman Chief Justice.

Representation in the Supreme Court

• Women’s representation in the Supreme Court is even lower.
• Only two women judges serve at present, and one will retire in June 2025, leaving just one.
• Since 2021, 28 judges have been appointed to the Supreme Court, but none were women.
• In the past 75 years, only one woman has been elevated directly from the Bar, compared to nine men.

Barriers to Women’s Appointments

• Various justifications are given for the low number of women judges, such as:
  • Lack of eligible women candidates.
  • Fewer senior women lawyers.
  • Assumption that women do not want to become judges.
• However, the root cause is systemic gender inequality in the legal profession.
• Women judges face higher scrutiny and must prove their merit more than men.

Issues with the Appointment Process

• The collegium system, which is responsible for appointing judges, is opaque and non-transparent.
• There are no clearly stated criteria for eligibility or merit.
• Collegiums are mostly composed of men, leading to bias in selections.
• Even when women’s names are recommended, they are often not confirmed by the government.
• Since 2020, nine women’s names were recommended for High Court appointments, but five were rejected.

Need for Gender Equality in Judiciary

• Increasing women’s representation will make courts more inclusive and representative.
• More women on the Bench will enhance the legitimacy of the judiciary and ensure fair judgments.

Steps to Improve Gender Diversity

1. Transparent Appointment Process
   • The collegium must establish clear criteria for judicial appointments.
   • Lawyers should have the option to express interest in being considered.
   • The selection process should follow fixed timelines and high standards of integrity.
2. Focus on Gender Diversity
   • Ensuring at least one-third of judges in High Courts and the Supreme Court are women.
   • Gender diversity should be considered alongside state, caste, and religion-based representation.
3. Merit-Based Selections
   • Appointments should be solely based on merit while ensuring diversity.
   • A gender-balanced judiciary will enhance public trust in the institution.

Conclusion

• Women’s appointments should become commonplace, rather than seen as extraordinary events.
• Achieving gender balance in courts will ensure a judiciary that upholds constitutional values and represents all citizens equally. 

Read more – 08 March 2025 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis