The bill received 454 votes in favor and only two votes against.
New Delhi:
The Women’s Reservation Bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha yesterday, will face another litmus test in the Rajya Sabha today on Day 4 of the special session of Parliament.
Here are 10 points about this big story:
The Lok Sabha yesterday overwhelmingly passed the bill to reserve one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, despite opposition demands to extend similar benefits to other Backward Classes (OBCs) and the measure before next year’s general elections.
The bill received 454 votes in favor and only two votes against on Day 3 of the five-day special session of Parliament to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. The bill will be presented in the Rajya Sabha today.
The bill finally cleared the Lok Sabha after decades of attempts. The UPA government led by Manmohan Singh introduced the bill in the Rajya Sabha in 2008, where it was passed in 2010. However, it never reached the Lok Sabha for consideration.
The landmark women’s quota law, which proposes a 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures, may not come into effect until 2029.
The women’s quota can only be introduced after the first demarcation of constituencies after the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill. This is likely to happen in 2027 as the demarcation will only take place after the next census.
The possible delay has provided fodder for the opposition parties who have demanded urgent implementation of the bill with a sub-quota for OBCs.
Opening the debate in Parliament yesterday, Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi said: “For the past thirteen years, Indian women have been waiting for their political responsibilities, and now they are being asked to wait a few more years – two years. four years, six years, eight years.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said: “Two things seem strange. One, the idea that you need a new census for this bill and a new demarcation, and I think this bill can be implemented today. I wonder if this isn’t meant to be seven or more eight years old and let it play out as it does.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that both delimitation and counting will begin after the next general election. “Let’s rise above party politics to give women the respect they deserve. They have previously been disappointed by parliament four times. Let this bill be passed unanimously,” Shah said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the passage of the bill with overwhelming support and thanked MPs across party lines for their votes. “I thank MPs from all party lines who voted for this bill. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is a landmark legislation that will further enhance women empowerment and enable even greater participation of women in our political process,” the Prime Minister wrote on X.
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