The number of women members in the Sixteenth Lok Sabha is

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 4:
The number of women members elected to the Sixteenth Lok Sabha in 2014 was 65. This marked a historic high for female representation in the lower house of the Indian Parliament at that time. The total strength of the Lok Sabha is 545 (543 elected and 2 nominated, though the nomination provision has since been abolished). The 65 women members constituted approximately 12.04% of the total strength, continuing a gradual upward trend in women's participation in Indian parliamentary politics since the first general election. While 12% might seem low when compared to global averages or the demand for greater reservation (like the proposed 33% Women’s Reservation Bill), it represented a significant political milestone in India's electoral history, surpassing the previous highest tally of 59 women members in the Fifteenth Lok Sabha (2009). The increased presence of women is often cited as a sign of deepening democratic engagement and a growing focus on issues related to gender and social equality in policy-making, even though female representation remains far from proportional to their share of the population.

The incorrect option is 1:
The figure 53 is incorrect. While earlier Lok Sabhas had similar or lower figures, the 53 women members were elected to the Fourteenth Lok Sabha in 2004, not the Sixteenth Lok Sabha (2014). This number reflects the representation a decade prior to the Sixteenth Lok Sabha elections. It is important for students to recognize that political representation figures are dynamic and generally increased with each subsequent Lok Sabha election. Therefore, 53 represents an outdated figure for the 2014 election.

The incorrect option is 2:
The figure 56 is incorrect. This number does not correspond to the final count of women elected in the Sixteenth Lok Sabha. The actual count was significantly higher than 56. Understanding the trend of political representation is key; after the Fifteenth Lok Sabha elected 59 women, it would be unlikely for the Sixteenth Lok Sabha to show a minimal increase or an actual decrease in the count, although slight fluctuations can occur. The figure 56 is closer to the previous election's tally but is not the accurate number for the Sixteenth Lok Sabha.

The incorrect option is 3:
The figure 58 is incorrect. This number is slightly below the 59 women elected to the Fifteenth Lok Sabha (2009), suggesting a decline in representation, which did not occur in the Sixteenth Lok Sabha. This option fails to account for the notable increase in women elected in the 2014 polls. Students should associate the Sixteenth Lok Sabha with a continuation of the upward trajectory in women's parliamentary participation. The correct number represents a new peak, not a minor decline or stagnation.