New Bill proposes women’s reservation for 15 years
The women’s reservation bill has proposed that the reservation would continue for a period of 15 years and there will be quota for SC and STs within the reserved seats for women.
image for illustrative purpose
New Delhi: The women’s reservation bill has proposed that the reservation would continue for a period of 15 years and there will be quota for SC and STs within the reserved seats for women.
The legislation however is unlikely to be implemented in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, sources said. It will be rolled out only after the delimitation process is over, most probably in 2029, they added. The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, was introduced in Lok Sabha in the supplementary list of business.
The reservation will come into effect after a delimitation exercise is undertaken and will continue for 15 years. Seats reserved for women will be rotated after each delimitation exercise, according to the bill. The government said women participate substantively in panchayats and at municipal bodies, but their representation in State Assemblies, Parliament is still limited.
Women bring different perspectives and enrich quality of legislative debates and decision-making, it added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his first speech in the new parliament building said that there had been several efforts to introduce women’s reservation bill in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies since 1996.
In 1998 and 1999, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had brought the bill, but his dream could not be fulfilled. The last such attempt was made in 2010, when the Rajya Sabha had passed a bill for women’s reservation, but the same could not be passed in the Lok Sabha and it got lapsed.
Modi further said that Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam will further strengthen Indian democracy. He said that the union cabinet had decided to give a go-ahead to the reservation of women in Parliament bill.
“This historic day of 19th September 2023 is going to be immortalised in the history of India,” Modi said. “Taking forward the resolution of women-led development, our government is today presenting a major Constitutional Amendment Bill. The purpose of this Bill is to expand the participation of women in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas.”
He said that the Cabinet had decided to give a go-ahead to the Reservation of Women in Parliament Bill. This historic day of 19th September 2023 is going to be immortal in the history of India.
“Taking forward the resolution of women-led development, our government is today presenting a major Constitutional Amendment Bill. The purpose of this Bill is to expand the participation of women in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas.” “I assure all the mothers, sisters and daughters of the nation that we are committed to making this bill into law.”
