- Women’s Reservation Bill to be in force for 15 years from day of commencement
- Women’s Reservation Bill that seeks to provide 33 percent quota for women in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies has been introduced in the Lok Sabha
- The bill, named as Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam, shows the unwavering commitment of the Narendra Modi government to empower women: Home Minister Amit Shah
NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, SEPT 19
The Women’s Reservation Bill that seeks to provide 33 per cent quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies was introduced in the Lok Sabha today in the ongoing special session of Parliament. Calling September 19 a “historic day”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the Opposition to unanimously pass the Bill – ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ – that has been hanging for nearly three decades.
नारी शक्ति वंदन अधिनियम के माध्यम से हमारा लोकतंत्र और मजबूत होगा। यह विधेयक लोकसभा और विधानसभा में महिलाओं की भागीदारी का विस्तार करने का है। pic.twitter.com/jyPnM4dv6J
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 19, 2023
“On this historic occasion in the new Parliament building, as the first proceeding of the House, the beginning of all the Parliamentarians opening gateways for women power is being done with this crucial decision,” Prime Minister Modi said in Lok Sabha.
PM Modi announced that his government is “bringing an important constitutional amendment bill”, taking forward “our resolve of women-led development”
“Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ will further empower our democracy,” said PM Modi. “There have been many debates in the past regarding women’s reservation… and I appeal to lawmakers to support the bill,” the Prime Minister said.
“We want more and more women to join the development process of the country,” he added, before Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal presented the bill to lawmakers.
Women account for almost half of the country’s 950 million registered voters but make for only 15% of parliament and about 10% of state legislatures.
The bill, once approved, will see the number of women MPs in Lok Sabha go up to 181 from the current 82, Meghwal said.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury credited his party for the women’s quota bill. “Former Congress governments under Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao, and Manmohan Singh had consistently tried to pass the bill to provide reservation for women,” he said.
Chowdhury also claimed that the Women’s Reservation Bill, which was passed in the Rajya Sabha during the Congress regime under Manmohan Singh, was still pending.
Across the length and breadth of India, people are rejoicing the introduction of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in Parliament. It shows the unwavering commitment of the Modi Government to empower women. Sadly, the Opposition is unable to digest this. And, what is more shameful…
— Amit Shah (Modi Ka Parivar) (@AmitShah) September 19, 2023
As the Congress sought to take credit for the Women’s Reservation Bill which was tabled in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah hit back at the opposition party, questioning their “double standards” over the issue.
Shah noted that the bill brought by the Manmohan Singh government had lapsed following the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha. “The Congress either let legislations lapse or friendly parties prevented tabling of bill. Their double standards will never be hidden,” he said.
The bill, named as Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam, shows the unwavering commitment of the Narendra Modi government to empower women, the home minister said. “People across India are rejoicing introduction of Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam in Parliament,” he said.
“Sadly, the opposition is unable to digest the bill. What is more shameful is that except tokenism, the Congress has never been serious about women’s reservation,” he further said.
Later, in a post on X, the home minister lauded Modi for introducing the bill and said the PM has shown that ‘women’s empowerment’ is not a slogan but a resolution of the Central government.
“Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has shown the realization of ‘Yatra Naryastu Pujyante, Ramante Tatra Devata’ in the democracy of the country in accordance with the eternal culture of India. The ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ introduced in the Lok Sabha today is a decision that will give our women power and their rights in the true sense,” he said.
Women’s Reservation Bill to be in force for 15 years from day of commencement
#WatchLive: भारत की मातृशक्ति का अधिकार सुनिश्चित करने वाला 'नारी शक्ति वंदन विधेयक-2023' नई संसद के पहले विधेयक के रूप में लोकसभा में पेश करते हुए।#NariShaktiKaVandan https://t.co/fhJUG0vaK6
— Arjun Ram Meghwal (Modi Ka Parivar) (@arjunrammeghwal) September 19, 2023
This bill to be called the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Act, 2023, was introduced by the Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal– it calls for reserving one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha, all state assemblies and Delhi legislative assembly.
The reservation will be in force for 15 years from the day of its commencement, and there will be a rotation of reserved seats. The reservation to Lok Sabha and state assemblies shall come into effect after an exercise of delimitation is undertaken based on the census to be conducted after the passing of the bill. This pushes the actual implementation of the reservation to the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
According to the bill, after a new section Article 330A of the Constitution is introduced, one-third of seats shall be reserved for women in the Lok Sabha.
“As nearly as may be, one-third of the total number of seats reserved under clause (2) of article 330 shall be reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes. As nearly as may be, one-third (including the number of seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election to the House of the People shall be reserved for women,” the bill reads.
Taking the women’s reservation to the state assemblies, the bill proposes that after Article 332 of the Constitution, a new article, 332A may be inserted to reserve seats for women in the Legislative Assembly of every State.
The bill also makes provision for reserving seats in the Delhi assembly as the jurisdiction of making laws falls with the parliament.
