Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 11 : BJP MP Ujjwal Nikam on Saturday praised the Centre for clearing draft amendment bills to implement the Women's Reservation Act, expressing confidence that the legislation would pass with a "good majority" in the Parliament.
"This is a very important step taken by PM Modi. Women do not have equality and representation. PM Modi wanted to give proper representation to women. The bill will pass with a good majority," Nikam told ANI.
Apart from Nikam, former India Hockey player Padma Shri Saba Anjum considered the legislation as a great opportunity towards promoting women's reservation in legislative assemblies.
"This will present a great opportunity for the representation of women. In this day and age, women are no less than men. They will get a good opportunity to go ahead. This will provide a great opportunity for women representation in Parliament and the Assembly. Women will be more vocal and go ahead. Women are not lagging in any field today," Anjum told ANI.
The Centre plans to introduce amendments aimed at increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816, with a proposal to reserve at least 273 seats for women.
Currently, the Lok Sabha has 543 seats. With a proposed 50 per cent increase, the number of seats will rise to 816, with 273 (about one third) reserved for women.
The Union Cabinet has already approved a draft amendment bill to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, paving the way for its implementation in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. The proposed amendment guarantees 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, including reserved quotas for SC/ST women, marking a significant step towards greater gender representation in Indian politics.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor