Women’s Reservation Bill passes Parliament hurdle as Rajya Sabha passes it

All 214 MPs present in the Rajya Sabha voted in favour of the Bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, 20 September.

ByPTI

Published Sep 22, 2023 | 12:14 AMUpdatedSep 22, 2023 | 12:14 AM

Women’s Reservation Bill passes Parliament hurdle as Rajya Sabha passes it

Parliament approved a Bill for reserving one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies for women, with the Rajya Sabha unanimously clearing it on Thursday, 21 September.

All 214 MPs present in the House voted in favour of it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the MPs for supporting the legislation.

Just before the House took up voting on the Bill, Modi said a constructive approach of all political parties to this Bill would reinvigorate the Nari Shakti.

Once more women assumed leadership roles and joined the nation-building process, he said, they would become a guarantee of the country’s bright future.

Related: Opposition slams caveats in the Women’s Reservation Bill

Already passed by Lok Sabha 

The Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill — Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam — was moved in Rajya Sabha by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. It was the first bill taken up by Parliament after its proceedings during a special session moved to the new building.

According to the bill, it would come into effect after the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies, which would be carried out after the completion of the next population census.

At present, women make up nearly half of India’s 95 crore registered voters, but account for only 15 percent of lawmakers in Parliament and 10 percent in the state Assemblies.

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