Country all set to take historic step for women empowerment in special sitting of Parliament: PM Mod
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asserted that his government is resolutely moving forward for empowerment of women in the three-day special sitting of Parliament.
His remarks came ahead of the start of the special sitting during which the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', commonly known as Women Reservation Act, will be amended for its implementation in 2029.
"In the special sitting of Parliament, beginning today, our country is all set to take a historic step towards women's empowerment. The respect for our mothers and sisters is the respect for the nation, and with this very spirit, we are moving forward resolutely in this direction," Modi said in a post on X in Hindi.
As per the Constitution amendment bill, Lok Sabha seats will be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls following a delimitation exercise to be carried out on the basis of last published census.
Seats would also be increased in state and Union territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
The seats reserved for women in Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies "shall be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a state or Union territory," the bill circulated among Lok Sabha members said.
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Opposition to boycott election of RS deputy chairman: Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): The opposition will boycott the election of the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha as a mark of protest against the Modi government not appointing a deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha for seven years, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday.
The government had not had any meaningful consultations on the matter either, the Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X. He added that the opposition hopes "Harivansh 3.0" will be more accommodative of and receptive to its requests.
"First, the Modi government has not appointed a Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha for 7 years. This has never happened before.
"Second, the Deputy Speaker’s counterpart in the Rajya Sabha is the Deputy Chairman. Shri Harivansh’s second term ended on April 9th. A day later he was nominated by the President of India as a member of the Rajya Sabha and he is now the NDA’s candidate for Deputy Chairman for a third term," Ramesh said in his post.
Never before has a person nominated by the president to the Rajya Sabha been considered for the post of its deputy chairman, he said.
Third, all this is being done without any meaningful consultations with the Opposition, the Congress leader said.
"For these three reasons and as a mark of protest - but not with any disrespect to the very learned Shri Harivansh - the Opposition has regretfully decided to boycott the election of the Deputy Chairman scheduled for April 17," Ramesh said.
The Rajya Sabha will hold the election for the post of deputy chairman on April 17. The ruling NDA is likely to push for re-electing Harivansh to the key post.
The post of the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha fell vacant after Harivansh's tenure of Harivansh ended on April 9. Harivansh has since been nominated to the Upper House by President Droupadi Murmu and took oath on April 10.
Union minister and BJP leader J P Nadda, who is also leader of the house in the Rajya Sabha, is learnt to have discussed the re-election of Harivansh as deputy chairman with leaders of various parties, while trying to bring about a broad consensus on his name.
However, the Congress, TMC and Left parties raised objections to the ruling party's "keenness" in holding elections for filling the post when the post of deputy speaker in Lok Sabha has been vacant since 2019.
