Women’s Reservation Bill 2023 gains overwhelming Lok Sabha support

SRINAGAR — The Women’s Reservation Bill, which seeks to provide one-third of the reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, was taken up in the Rajya Sabha for its approval on Thursday.

After the bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday with 454 votes in favour and 2 votes against, the Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moved the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill in the Upper House.

Meghwal said this bill will promote women’s empowerment in the country. He said this is also an important step towards making India a developed nation in the Amrit Kaal. “33 per cent reservation for women belonging to SCs and STs will also be provided within the existing quota and for this census and delimitation are essential,” he said.

The Women’s Reservation Bill, also called Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, will pass in Rajya Sabha unanimously, BJP leader J P Nadda expressed confidence.

“Women always had an important role in Indian culture. The Bharatiya Janata Party does not want to take a political advantage but aims at empowering women. In the last nine years, the Narendra Modi government has made several decisions for the empowerment of women,” said Nadda.

Congress leader Ranjeet Ranjan, while supporting the Bill and questioning its delay in bringing it to the Parliament, said that women’s representation in Parliament should go up.