In India, upper house of parliament unanimously passes constitutional bill on reserving one-third of lower house and state legislative seats for women and other groups

In a historic moment, the Rajya Sabha, India’s upper house of Parliament, unanimously approved the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023 on a significant development aimed at empowering women in the country. This groundbreaking legislation mandates the reservation of one-third of seats for women in both the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament) and state assemblies. This momentous decision came after rigorous discussions and deliberations during a special session of Parliament. The Lok Sabha, India’s lower house of Parliament, had already passed this landmark bill a day earlier [on 20 September], setting the stage for its consideration in the Rajya Sabha. Across party lines, Rajya Sabha members displayed unwavering support for the bill, often referred to as the “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.” An impressive 72 members of the Upper House engaged in a marathon debate regarding this pivotal legislation. The discourse, followed by the voting process, extended well past 11:30 PM. To everyone’s acclaim, a resounding 214 members voted in favor, and not a single vote was cast in opposition. [...] While extending their ‘whole-hearted and unconditional’ support to the bill, members from opposition parties advocated for a sub-quota within the proposed reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). They also called upon the government to expedite the bill’s implementation. [...] The Statement of Objects and Reasons accompanying the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023 highlights that this legislation aims to bolster the participation of women as public representatives in policy-making at both the state and national levels.
Read the full article here: Bold News Online