New Delhi: Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar took a significant step on Thursday by reconstituting the panel of Vice-Chairpersons, consisting of 13 distinguished women members of the Rajya Sabha. This decision comes as the House discusses the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Bill, 2023.”
The Women’s Reservation Bill 2023 was presented in Rajya Sabha today after the historic passing of the bill in Lok Sabha.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Lok Sabha made history by passing the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023 (Women’s Reservation Bill), which reserves one-third of the seats in parliament and state legislative assemblies for women. A resounding 454 MPs lent their support to the bill, while two MPs voted against it.
The Bill was introduced by Union Minister of State for Law & Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on Tuesday amid opposition from MPs as they had not seen a copy.
Earlier, in the day, amid the debate in the Lok Sabha over the women’s reservation Bill, the Opposition parties stuck to their demand of a quota within a quota.
Opening the debate for the Congress party, Sonia Gandhi extended the party’s support to the Bill, but added, a “caste census should be conducted to ensure reservation for women from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBC”.
Later, Rahul Gandhi also said that it is an “incomplete” Bill without reservation for OBC women.
Amit Shah, too, addressed the House after Gandhi and defended the Bill saying that the “passage of women’s reservation bill will mark start of new era.”