Today marked an important day in India as lawmakers convened in the new parliament building for the first time. The session, which was not a routine one, had generated much speculation about the government's agenda. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi put all speculations to rest in his inaugural speech, where he announced the introduction of the Women's Reservation Bill.
The Women's Reservation Bill, also known as the 128th Constitutional Amendment Bill, aims to reserve one-third of all electoral seats for women in the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and union territories. This means that out of 100 seats in a state, 33 seats will be exclusively reserved for women candidates. The bill also extends the reservation to backward communities, such as scheduled tribes and scheduled castes.
The need for such a bill arises from the gender disparity in Indian politics. Currently, women make up only 15% of all Lok Sabha seats and 14% of Rajya Sabha seats. Many Indian states also have less than 10% women representation in their legislatures. The Women's Reservation Bill seeks to address this gender imbalance by providing a quota for women in elected bodies.
India is no stranger to reservation policies. In local elections, one-third of the seats are already reserved for women, resulting in significant female representation at the grassroots level. However, this representation diminishes as one moves up the hierarchy. Currently, only one out of 28 Indian states has a female chief minister. The Women's Reservation Bill aims to extend the quota to all elected legislatures and bring about a more equitable distribution of power.
The implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill is contingent on certain steps being taken, including conducting a census and redrawing constituencies. While no deadline has been set for its rollout, the bill represents a significant step forward in addressing gender inequality in Indian politics.
The roots of this proposal can be traced back to the 1970s when the Indian government was asked by the United Nations to report on gender equality. Since then, various committees and recommendations have been made to address the issue. However, it was not until 1992 that the reservation of one-third of seats in local bodies was implemented. Attempts to extend the reservation to state assemblies and the parliament have been made by successive prime ministers, but they have faced obstacles and opposition from certain communities.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign promise and its majority in parliament, the Women's Reservation Bill is expected to become a reality, potentially ushering in a new era of Indian democracy.
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