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Padma Shri Awardee Hails Women's Reservation Law as Chance to "Voice Our Thoughts"

Padma Shri awardee Phoolbasan Bai Yadav has welcomed the government's move to amend and operationalise the Women's Reservation Act, stating it is a transformative step for women's empowerment. She expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister, saying the law will enable women to directly voice their thoughts in Parliament. The amendment plans to use 2011 census data for delimitation, potentially increasing Lok Sabha seats to 816, with about a third reserved for women. The move comes amid political debate, with the Congress raising concerns over timing and intent ahead of a special Parliament session.

Key Points: Women's Reservation Law Amendment Hailed as Transformative Step

  • Welcomes operationalisation of Women's Reservation Act
  • Says it allows direct participation in national decisions
  • Legislation uses 2011 census data for delimitation
  • Lok Sabha seats may increase from 543 to 816
3 min read

"We can go to Parliament, voice our thoughts": Padma Shri awardee hails Women's reservation law amendment

Padma Shri awardee Phoolbasan Bai Yadav welcomes the amendment to operationalise women's reservation in Parliament, calling it a major empowerment move.

"Today, we can go to Parliament and voice our thoughts. - Phoolbasan Bai Yadav"

Rajnandgaon, April 11

Social worker and Padma Shri awardee Phoolbasan Bai Yadav on Saturday welcomed the Centre's approval of draft amendment bills to operationalise the Women's Reservation Act, saying it marks a transformative step towards women's empowerment and will allow women to directly participate in national decision-making.

Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister and his government, she said the legislation would significantly expand opportunities for women to raise their voices at the highest level.

"On behalf of lakhs of women in Chhattisgarh, I express gratitude to the PM and his team, who have taken such a massive step towards women's empowerment. This will benefit women a lot directly. Sometimes, our thoughts remain confined to just here due to a lack of opportunities, but today, we can go to Parliament and voice our thoughts. I am happy that we can speak up now even in Delhi," Yadav told ANI.

Her remarks come amid intensified political debate over the proposed constitutional amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam ahead of the special session of Parliament scheduled to begin on April 16.

The Congress on Friday held discussions on the proposed legislation during its Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Delhi, where senior leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, raised concerns over the government's intent, timing, and the proposed delimitation-linked changes.

Kharge has alleged that the government is pushing the legislation with political motives ahead of elections and warned that the proposed expansion of parliamentary seats could have far-reaching consequences on India's electoral structure.

The Parliament is set to meet for a three-day special session from April 16, with a focus on the Women's Reservation Amendment Bill. The Government has planned two major amendments. 2023's Nari Shakti Vandan Act ties women's reservation to the new census and delimitation. Due to census delays, the plan is to proceed with the 2011 census data.

The 2011 census is to be the basis for delimitation and seat redistribution. Lok Sabha seats may increase from 543 to 816 post-amendment. A bill will be introduced in Parliament to amend the Nari Shakti Vandan Act. A separate Delimitation Bill will be introduced. Both bills need to be passed as Constitutional amendments for women's reservation.

The new Lok Sabha is likely to have more than 800 seats. Keeping up with the status quo, there is no provision for OBC reservation, and SC/ST reservation will continue. However, states won't have a role; the bill passed by Parliament will apply to them. Currently, the Lok Sabha has 543 seats. With a proposed 50% increase, the number of seats will rise to 816, with 273 (about a third) reserved for women.

The government's key point is that they won't wait for a new census to give women, comprising half the country's population, fair representation in Parliament. Instead, delimitation will be done using the 2011 census data.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul R
A welcome step, but the timing is suspicious. Why now, just before elections? The opposition's concerns about political motives are valid. The implementation should be fair and not rushed.
M
Meera T
As a woman from a small town, this gives me so much hope. My mother always said our opinions matter. Now, maybe one day, a daughter from my village can actually sit in Parliament. Jai Hind!
A
Aman W
Increasing Lok Sabha seats to 800+ is a massive change. While women's reservation is good, we must ensure this doesn't lead to more political drama and wasteful expenditure. The focus should remain on governance.
S
Sarah B
Watching from abroad, this is a progressive move by India. Direct participation in decision-making is crucial for gender equality. Hope it sets a strong example.
K
Karthik V
Using 2011 census data is a practical solution instead of waiting indefinitely. The bill has been pending for decades. Let's just implement it now and refine it later if needed. Better late than never.
N
Nisha Z
I'm happy but also cautious. Reservation is one thing, but will these women MPs have real power, or will they just be proxies? We need to elect capable leaders, not just fill quotas. The quality of representation matters most.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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