Samrat Choudhary flags off run in Patna to support Nari Shakti Vandan Act
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
Reader Comments
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.