Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday approved the Women’s Reservation Bill. Sources suggested the bill could be presented in the new parliament building later this week, in response to demands from members of the opposition and the ruling coalition. . Earlier today, Prime Minister Modi hinted at important decisions that will be taken in the new Parliament.
Although there is no official government briefing, it is understood that the cabinet had an in-depth discussion on the bill. The Women’s Reservation Bill seeks to reserve 33 per cent of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women, thereby promoting their participation in decision-making.
The move is crucial ahead of hotly contested elections in April, where the government is seeking to curry favor with female voters who make up half of the electorate. Union ministers including Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Piyush Goyal, Pralhad Joshi, S. Jaishankar, Nirmala Sitharaman, Dharmendra Pradhan, Nitin Gadkari and Arjun Ram Meghwal attended the cabinet meeting.
Speculation over various bills, including the Women’s Reservation Bill, has been rife ever since the special parliamentary session was announced. Prime Minister Modi hinted at the session’s potential for historic decisions and highlighted the contribution of women parliamentarians during his speech on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Parliament.
Leaders from various parties expressed support for the bill at a pre-session all-party meeting. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi reiterated the government’s commitment to taking the right decision at the right time.
Currently, women make up only 15% of the Lok Sabha, with 78 women out of 543 members. The Rajya Sabha has around 14% representation of women. The Women’s Reservation Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but has been pending for 27 years.
