Women Reservation Bill: Jagdeep Dhankar Constitutes All-Women Panel Of Vice-Chairpersons In Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday reconstituted the panel of Vice-Chairpersons comprising 13 women Rajya Sabha Members for the day as the Upper House discusses the Nari Shakti Vandan Vidheyak Bill, 2023.

According to a statement from the Vice President's Secretariat, Dhankhar emphasized that their presence on the chair would send a powerful message to the world at large and it would symbolize that they held a ‘commanding position’ during this epochal moment of change.

The details of the women Rajya Sabha Members nominated to the Panel of Vice-Chairpersons are as follows:

• P. T. Usha

• S. Phangnon Konyak

• Shrimati Jaya Bachchan

• Saroj Pandey

• Rajani Ashokrao Patil

• Dr. Fauzia Khan

• Dola Sen

• Indu Bala Goswami

• Dr. Kanimozhi NVN Somu

• Kavita Patidar

• Mahua Maji

• Dr. Kalpana Saini

• Sulata Deo

Cutting across party lines, Rajya Sabha members on Thursday supported the bill to provide 33% reservation for women in the Lower House of Parliament and state assemblies, even as some opposition members termed it an election gimmick.

During the debate in the Upper House on the 128th Constitution Amendment Bill that seeks to reserve a third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women, members also highlighted the need to accelerate the process instead of waiting for a fresh census and delimitation exercise, news agency PTI reported.

The 128th Constitution Amendment Bill, which was approved by a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, was introduced in the Upper House by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

After getting approved in the Rajya Sabha, the bill will then require the approval of majority of state assemblies. It will be implemented after a delimitation exercise based on Census data is completed.

This is the seventh attempt since 1996 to get the women's reservation bill passed. Women presently make up for nearly half of India's 95 crore registered voters but comprise only 15 per cent of lawmakers in Parliament and 10 per cent in state assemblies.

The 33% reservation for women will not apply to the upper house of Parliament and state legislatures.

(With PTI inputs)