NEW DELHI : Delhi based Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC),the largest organisation of women journalist seems to be going through   crisis of internal democracy and transparency. For the past two decades, the so-called progressive gang has tarnished its credibility. Due to non-transparent membership and functioning, this three-decade-old women’s press club of the country is surrounded by controversies these days.
The latest episode of IWPC is the recent so-called election (2025-2026). For the past two years, this women’s  club has been embroiled in controversies due to the practice of conducting the management committee elections in a non-transparent manner through nominations instead of elections. For the second consecutive year, the Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) Management Committee has been elected unopposed, sparking widespread concern among members about the state of internal democracy and transparency in the organization.
A senior member of IWPC said that in order to maintain the dominance of a gang through nominations in the name of elections, the elections were conducted in a very dramatic manner through nominations. As per the information received, the outgoing management committee was also not taken into confidence in this nomination process.
In the new management committee, a woman has been nominated as president who has never been in journalism… A large group of IWPC members are calling it an undemocratic and unilateral decision taken against the club’s accepted rules. One said – this decision can be challenged in the court…
However, many members are alarmed that Sujatha Raghavan, who comes from a civil society and corporate communications background, has been elected President despite never having worked as a journalist. Questions are being raised about how she was granted general membership, which is strictly reserved for working and freelance female journalists with voting rights. The IWPC constitution also provides for corporate and associate memberships, both without voting rights.
Members view the repeated unopposed elections as a sign of disengagement and a boycott in protest of the dominance of a single panel. “We’ve lost the buzz and vibrancy that came with real contests,” one member said, recalling how election day once felt like a festival of journalism—bringing together senior journalists, freelancers, and newcomers.
The IWPC is the largest organization of women journalists with more than thousand members. Founded in 1994 by 18 women journalists to create a safe, inclusive professional space, the IWPC has long been a vital hub for working wome journalists in Delhi. Now, many say the organization’s core values ​​are under threat with the repeated unopposed election of the Management Committee. The Management Committee is appointed for the tenure of one year and at the end of the term there is a provision for the election after following a due democratic after the announcement od election dat, filing the nominations, withdrawal of nomination option and the voting after the Annual General Body Meeting where the audited financial report is presented to the members.
As the new committee takes over, members are calling for greater transparency, fair processes, and a revival of the IWPC’s founding spirit. The unopposed election for the second consecutive year is leading to a grave concerns and members and wants a collective introspection to restore the democratic process.

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