Bhubaneswar: Odisha will require about 73 years to achieve the one-third women representation in its police force, according to the India Justice Report (IJR) 2025.
The findings indicated that Odisha currently has 11% women in police and 14.2% female officers in the force. The figures are significant considering the state implemented 33% reservation for women in police force in 1992.
The report, a Tata Trusts initiative with support from civil society organisations and data partners, evaluated the performance of states across police, judiciary, prisons and legal aid sectors. Odisha’s overall ranking in all parameters has improved to 8th in IJR 2025 from 11th position in 2022.
The 2025 report shows that 22 states/UTs, including Odisha, have shown slight improvements in women’s representation compared to the IJR 2022. Previously (IJR 2022), Odisha needed 428 years to reach one-third women representation, with 9.1% women in police and 11.1% female officers.
The report highlights that “Odisha and West Bengal lag significantly, with one police person serving 1,298 and 1,277 people, respectively”.
The state leads nationally in e-mulaqat implementation in prisons. “The highest use of e-mulaqat was in Odisha (43%) followed by Himachal Pradesh (42%),” stated the report. E-mulaqat, introduced during Covid-19 pandemic, enhances digital communication between prisoners and their families and legal representatives.
Additionally, Odisha leads in prison inspections by authorities. “Prisons, as inherently closed institutions, are subjected to a variety of mechanisms of scrutiny — by the executive, judiciary, and medical establishments. Only Odisha recorded the highest 138% visits,” the report noted.