Ministry of Home Affairs
Increase women's representation in state police forces to 33% by 2030
MHA set a non-binding advisory target of 33% women in state police forces, aligned with the Women's Reservation Act. Currently 11.7% of police personnel are women.
Overall Progress
Ministry of Home Affairs
N/A (state subject)
December 31, 2030
Progress Snapshot
11.7% women in police forces (target: 33% by 2030)
35%Last updated: Mar 20, 2026 · Source: Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRd) Annual Report 2025
Milestones
Reach 10% women nationwide
Target: Mar 2022
10.3% ✓
15% women nationwide
Target: Mar 2025
11.7% — missed
20% women nationwide
Target: Mar 2027
At risk
33% women nationwide
Target: Dec 2030
Very at risk
Update Log
Mar 20, 2026
BPRd 2025: 11.7% women in police forces nationally — up from 10.3% in 2022, but well below 33% target trajectory needed.
Feb 14, 2026
Maharashtra becomes first state to exceed 20% women in police — seen as benchmark for other states.
Jan 5, 2026
MHA issues reminder advisory to states on 33% recruitment target — no enforcement mechanism exists.
How we track this
We track BPRd's annual police statistics publication, which provides state-wise gender breakdown of police personnel. We also track vacancies vs sanctioned strength for women-specific roles.