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Bihar CM Flags Off Run Backing Women's Quota, Eyes Faster Rollout

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary flagged off a fun run in Patna to demonstrate public support for the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, which reserves 33% of seats for women in legislatures. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for championing the law and former CM Nitish Kumar for earlier women's empowerment initiatives in Bihar. Although the bill was passed in 2023, its implementation depends on a new census and a delimitation exercise to redraw constituencies. Proposals to fast-track the process by using 2011 census data and potentially expanding the Lok Sabha are under government discussion.

Key Points: Bihar CM Supports Nari Shakti Vandan Act, Run in Patna

  • Run flagged off to support women's quota law
  • Implementation tied to census & delimitation
  • Proposal to use 2011 data for faster rollout
  • Plan to increase Lok Sabha seats to 816 discussed
2 min read

Samrat Choudhary flags off run in Patna to support Nari Shakti Vandan Act

Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary flags off fun run for women's reservation bill. Learn about the act's status and proposals for faster implementation.

"enthusiastic participation of women... reflected growing support for the law - Samrat Choudhary"

Patna, April 17

Bihar Chief Minister, Samrat Choudhary, on Friday flagged off a "fun run" in Patna in support of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, as discussions around the legislation continued in the Lok Sabha.

The event, organised to demonstrate public support for women's empowerment, saw participants run from Digha roundabout to JP Setu.

The Chief Minister inaugurated the run by waving the green flag and addressing the gathering, emphasising the importance of women's dignity, safety, and active participation in governance.

Speaking on the occasion, Samrat Choudhary highlighted that the legislation aims to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, a move championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He also credited former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for earlier initiatives in Bihar that expanded rights and representation for women.

The Chief Minister noted that the enthusiastic participation of women in the event reflected growing support for the law and the broader goal of strengthening "Nari Shakti (women's power)" in public life.

Although the Women's Reservation Bill was passed by both Houses of Parliament in 2023 and received assent from President Droupadi Murmu, its implementation has been made contingent upon the completion of the next Census and the delimitation exercise.

This requirement stems from the need to redraw parliamentary constituencies and reserve seats for women accordingly, ensuring fair and updated representation based on population data.

There are ongoing discussions within the government about expediting implementation.

One proposal under consideration involves using 2011 Census data instead of waiting for a fresh census, thereby fast-tracking the process ahead of future elections.

Additionally, reports suggest a broader plan to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to around 816 seats, which would allow approximately 33 per cent to be reserved for women without significantly impacting current representation.

A separate legislative framework for constituting a Delimitation Commission is also being explored in this context.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good initiative by CM Choudhary. Bihar has shown the way before with 50% reservation in panchayats. If they use 2011 data to fast-track it, that would be a masterstroke. More women in Parliament will definitely change the quality of debates and policies. Jai Nari Shakti!
A
Aman W
While I support the principle, I have a respectful criticism. These symbolic events like fun runs often feel like tokenism. The real work is ensuring the seats aren't just given to wives or relatives of male politicians (the 'parivar' quota). We need genuine, independent women leaders.
S
Sarah B
Interesting to see the credit given to both PM Modi and former CM Nitish Kumar. It's good when parties come together on such a historic issue for gender equality. The plan to increase Lok Sabha seats is ambitious and could be a practical solution to make the 33% reservation work smoothly.
K
Kavya N
As a young woman from Patna, seeing this run happen here fills me with hope! 💪 My mother always says real change comes from having a seat at the table. I hope they don't delay it further. We need more women's voices in decisions about education, safety, and jobs.
V
Vikram M
The logistical details are crucial. Delimitation based on fresh census is necessary for fairness—can't have outdated population data deciding constituencies. But if they can find a constitutional way to implement it sooner, all power to them. The intent is right.

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