Rajya Sabha passes Women Reservation Bill

In a historic move, the Lok Sabha passed the Women Reservation Bill on Thursday following an 11-hour debate. The bill aims to amend the constitution and allocate one-third of the reservation for women in both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. On Wednesday, the bill received overwhelming support in the upper house, with 215 votes in favor, 0 votes against, and 0 abstentions.

Remarkably, only two Members of Parliament from AIMIM opposed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam bill in the lower house.

This historic achievement marks the first bill to be passed in the newly constructed Parliament building. Following its approval in the Upper House, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar conveyed his congratulations to the members and called it a momentous milestone. “Historic achievement, congratulations. It is also a coincidence that today is PM Modi’s birthday on the Hindu calendar”, Dhankar noted after the bill’s passage.

#WATCH | " It is only a coincidence…as per Hindu calendar, today is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday", says Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar pic.twitter.com/NLjD26kZiS

— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2023

Prior to the voting, Prime Minister Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha on the bill, expressing his belief that it would instill new confidence in the people of the country.

Reason of sepcial session

During the debate on Thursday, Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted the long-overdue nature of the bill. She explained the reason for convening a special session of Parliament, stating, “We have entered a new era with a new Parliament building, symbolizing a new India. We want this Parliament to address one of its most significant bills.” Sitharaman further clarified the bill’s focus on reserving seats for women in the Lok Sabha, citing challenges in implementing such reservations in the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) due to the indirect election process and the complexities of voting preferences.

A defining moment in our nation's democratic journey! Congratulations to 140 crore Indians.

I thank all the Rajya Sabha MPs who voted for the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. Such unanimous support is indeed gladdening.

With the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 21, 2023

Mallikarjun Kharge, in his intervention, raised questions about the delay in implementing the bill and emphasized why Prime Minister Modi couldn’t enact it immediately, similar to how he could ban currency notes overnight. In response, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal asserted, “Modi hai toh mumkin hai… do not doubt”, emphasizing the possibility of achieving the goal with the Prime Minister’s leadership.