Law Minister Meghwal introduces Women's Reservation Bill in Lok Sabha
What's the story
Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Tuesday introduced the much-anticipated Women's Reservation Bill, titled the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, in the Lok Sabha. It reportedly proposed 33% reservation for women in the Parliament and state legislatures. It will be put for discussion in the Lower House before voting. Enjoying support from the opposition, too, the bill is set for a smooth sail.
Statement
181 Lok Sabha seats to be reserved for women: Meghwal
Speaking on the occasion, Meghwal said, "After the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill, 181 seats in Lok Sabha will be reserved for women." Moreover, he mentioned that 33% of the 84 Lower House seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs) will be reserved for women, too. He added, "33% of 47 seats for Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Lok Sabha will be reserved for women now."
Renaming
PM Modi renames bill as Naari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam
Earlier, addressing MPs during the first Lok Sabha session at the new Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Women participate substantively in panchayats and municipal bodies; their representation in state assemblies and Parliament is still limited." "Women bring different perspectives and enrich the quality of legislative debates and decision-making," he added. He also announced the renaming of the bill to "Naari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam."
Details
Smooth sail for Women's Reservation Bill amid opposition support
The bill is expected to be cleared smoothly by the Parliament as nearly all opposition parties support it. A draft legislation was passed under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2010, too; it remains to be seen how the opposition will react to the new bill. The move also sets the tone for the upcoming state assembly elections and Lok Sabha polls.
Response
How Congress reacted to development
Reacting to the bill, the leader of the Congress in the lower house, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, stated former PM Rajiv Gandhi was the first to introduce women's reservation in local governance. He added several former prime ministers from his party, including Manmohan Singh, made efforts to pass the legislation. However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed the House that the previous bill had lapsed.
BJP
'Proud to witness historic occasion': Maneka Gandhi
Earlier, speaking at a ceremony in the Central Hall of the old Parliament building, BJP MP Maneka Gandhi said that she was proud to be part of the historic occasion when the government was providing an "equal share to women." "My happiest moment was being given the responsibility by the prime minister, who coined the phrase 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao,'" she said.
Session
Special session to witness historic decisions
To recall, the Women's Reservation Bill was cleared at a PM Modi-chaired meeting of the Union Cabinet on Monday evening. It has now been tabled in the Lok Sabha during the Parliament's five-day special session, which PM Modi said would witness "historic decisions." The special session commenced in the old Parliament building on Monday and shifted to the new Parliament complex on Tuesday morning.