New Delhi: A bill to ensure the reservation of 33 per cent seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies was cleared by the Union Cabinet this evening, sources said.
The government, however, has yet to announce it and skipped the customary briefing after the Cabinet meet.
The meeting had spiked interest in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment earlier today that ‘historic decisions’ will be taken in this special session.
With this, the long-standing demand of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has finally materialised.
Ahead of the Parliament session, leaders from the Opposition had pushed for women’s reservation. So did the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party. The parties had made a strong push for it at the all-party meeting held Sunday.
Despite being introduced in Parliament multiple times since 1996, the bill has not yet been passed into law due to various political challenges and opposition, until now.
The bill, drawn up in 2008, has been on freeze since it was passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010. It was never presented in the lower house.
Though the BJP and the Congress have always supported the bill, there were hurdles in form of opposition by other parties and demands for quota for backward classes within the women’s quota.
What is Women’s reservation bill?
This bill seeks to address gender disparity in political representation by providing greater opportunities for women to participate in the country’s legislative process.
Supporters argue that it is essential for achieving gender equality and empowering women in decision-making roles within the Indian government.
PNN & Agencies