Senior Bureaucrat Exposes Gender Bias Incident in Maharashtra Government
Senior Indian Administrative Service officer Manisha Patankar Mhaiskar has ignited a significant controversy by revealing that a minister in the Mahayuti government explicitly opposed her appointment to head his department in 2023, stating he did not want a woman officer in that role. This disclosure, made in an interview published in a souvenir for a literary conference of women civil servants in Delhi, has sparked widespread discussion about gender equality in the state's bureaucracy.
The Shocking 2023 Incident
Mhaiskar, who currently serves as the additional chief secretary for home in Maharashtra, recounted that shortly after the Eknath Shinde-led government was formed in 2023, during the process of assigning officer postings, one minister openly declared his preference against having a woman lead his department. As a result, she was passed over for the position. "In my 33-year career, this happened only once. After the government was formed in 2023, officers were getting postings. One leader said he did not want a woman to run his department and I was passed over. What can I say?" she stated in the article.
She emphasized that this incident was particularly shocking because gender differences within the bureaucratic framework had largely diminished over time. Mhaiskar clarified later in a conversation with TOI that Maharashtra has generally been very fair to her, with this being the sole exception. She attributed this fairness to the state's legacy of social reform and progressive values, noting that the public ultimately judges officers based on merit, not gender.
Contrast with Maharashtra's Progressive Record
This revelation stands in stark contrast to the Mahayuti government's public image, which includes the Shinde Sena, BJP, and NCP, and prides itself on promoting women through initiatives like the Mukhya Mantri Majhi Laadki Bahin Yojana. Maharashtra has a notable history of appointing women to top bureaucratic positions, including the first woman chief secretary, BMC commissioner, and director general of police in the state.
Mhaiskar herself has held numerous key roles, such as heading the Public Works Department, urban development, protocol, and serving as additional commissioner in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. She pointed out that there are now many more women in the IAS compared to when she joined, and they rarely face overt discrimination due to an environment of equality.
Persistent Challenges for Women Officers
Despite progress, Mhaiskar highlighted ongoing challenges for women in the civil services. She explained that women often need to prove themselves more rigorously than their male counterparts, as they are judged more harshly. "If a male officer is inefficient, he is criticised on a personal level. But if a woman officer is inefficient, the criticism is generalised to all women," she pointed out.
She categorized people's attitudes toward gender in the workplace into four groups:
- Those who believe in gender differences but do not reveal it openly.
- Those who explicitly do not want women as colleagues.
- Those to whom gender makes no difference in professional settings.
- Those who believe women will perform better in certain roles.
However, Mhaiskar reiterated that the public remains gender-neutral, primarily concerned with having competent officers regardless of gender. Her remarks have drawn attention to the subtle and sometimes overt biases that persist, even in progressive states like Maharashtra.
