India reaching new heights in field of sports under PM Modi: Rajasthan CM
Jaipur (PTI): Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Thursday said that India is reaching new heights in the field of sports under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said that the Prime Minister had made sports a national priority, and initiatives like Khelo India were helping promote a culture of sports across the country.
Sharma was addressing the concluding ceremony of the Sansad Khel Mahotsav at Sawai Man Singh stadium here.
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PM Modi addressed the closing ceremony virtually and lauded the Sports Festival, saying that it had become a mass movement.
He said that thousands of talented athletes were emerging through the festival and it was becoming a strong pillar for nation building.
CM Sharma said that under the guidance of the PM, the MP Sports Festival was providing opportunities to youth from towns and villages to showcase their talent.
Initiatives such as the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and the establishment of sports universities have significantly impacted athletes' lives, he opined.
Sharma added that the state government had taken concrete steps to promote sports in Rajasthan, including the successful organisation of the Khelo India University Games and the launch of the Sports Life Insurance Scheme, which provides accidental and life insurance cover up to Rs 25 lakh to international medallists.
The Chief Minister said no talented athlete in the state will be left behind due to lack of resources.
Sharma also presented trophies to the winners of the cricket competition during the event.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel, MP Manju Sharma, MLAs Kailash Verma, Gopal Sharma, Balamukundacharya, other representatives, athletes, coaches, and school students were also present on the occasion.
Later, Sharma also addressed the Good Governance Day ceremony at Officers Training School and paid tributes to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary.
He said that the former PM followed the ideals of Ram Rajya, transforming governance into good governance and Swaraj into Suraj.
He said that PM Modi also believes that good governance is the key to a nation's progress.
The Chief Minister also administered the oath of good governance to officers and staff.
Deputy Chief Ministers Diya Kumari and Premchand Bairwa, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel, Chief Secretary V Srinivas, DGP Rajeev Kumar Sharma, and senior officials from various departments were present in the programme.
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Constitution amendment bill defeat was BJP’s first embarrassment in Parliament: Margaret Alva
Bengaluru (PTI): Senior Congress leader Margaret Alva on Monday said that the constitution amendment bill's defeat in the Lok Sabha on April 17 was the first embarrassment faced by the BJP-led government in Parliament.
She also alleged that the BJP has no real concern regarding women’s reservation.
The opposition INDIA bloc defeated the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill that sought to facilitate the implementation of women's reservation by expanding the strength of the Lok Sabha, apart from making changes to delimitation.
"This is the first embarrassment and defeat faced by the NDA government in the Lok Sabha," the former Governor of Gujarat and Rajasthan said in a press conference here.
According to her, the women’s reservation has been under discussion since the time of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
"During Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure, a 14-member committee was formed, and I was appointed as its chairperson. We prepared a report after studying what needed to be done to enhance the dignity of women across 12 sectors. This was submitted to the government in 1989,” Alva, 84-year-old veteran Congress leader, said.
She said political empowerment for women was emphasised in that report, without which, empowerment in any other sphere is not possible.
“Many people in Parliament used to question me — should we vacate seats for women and stay at home cooking? Why insist on this? Has anyone written these seats in your name? This debate has been ongoing since 1975,” Alva explained.
The Congress leader said Rajiv Gandhi had introduced 33 per cent reservation for women in local bodies.
“At that time, all opposition parties united and defeated the Bill,” she pointed out.
Again, during the tenure of former Prime Minister late P V Narasimha Rao, the 33 per cent reservation Bill in local bodies was passed.
“It was the Congress party that first introduced women’s reservation. Now they are falsely accusing us of being anti-women,” Alva charged.
In 2023, the Women’s Reservation Bill was passed with much fanfare, but it was not immediately implemented.
According to her, a condition was imposed for its implementation that it would be enforced based on census data.
"Once it is in the statute book, what is preventing its implementation? Two years for the census and another two years for delimitation — this means it cannot be implemented by 2029. It was not given in 2024, and there is no possibility even in 2029," Alva charged the BJP-led government at the Centre.
The Congress leader said the BJP is saying that the Bill can be implemented based on the 2011 Census, but when the same suggestion was made in 2023, the BJP rejected it.
On increasing the Lok Sabha seats by 50 per cent, she sought to know the basis for it.
“Where did this (idea) come from? Whose advice was taken? Was it decided by the RSS? Or ordered by a court?” Alva asked.
The former union minister said the Constitution amendment bill, which was defeated on April 17 appears to favour certain North Indian states.
“We pay taxes, but they receive greater benefits and allocations. If seats are increased by 50 per cent based on their calculations, we would get only 14 additional seats, while they would get 40. How is this fair?” she questioned.
While 298 members voted in support of the bill in Lok Sabha, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the bill required 352 votes for a two-third majority.
According to the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to "operationalise" the women's reservation act before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats were also to be increased in state and Union territory Assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
