Parliament Special Session: Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha Adjourned Sine Die After Passing Women's Reservation Bill

The Rajya Sabha passed the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, which seeks to reserve one-third of the total seats in the lower house of parliament and the state legislative assemblies exclusively for women. It will come into effect after the delimitation and redrawing of constituencies, which may not happen before the 2029 elections.

The bill was passed by Rajya Sabha after an 11-hour debate.

The bill had received the Lok Sabha's nod on Wednesday. 454 MPs voted in favour, while two voted no.

Division of votes in Rajya Sabha:

• Ayes 215

• Nays 0

• Abstain 0

After being passed by both houses of Parliament, the Women's Reservation Bill, officially 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023' will be sent to the President to be signed into law. Thereafter it will become an Act.

• 171 yes

• 0 no

• 0 abstain

Rajya Sabha MPs will vote via an electronic system where they will be given three options- Yes, No, Abstain.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined the discussion on the Women's Reservation Bill that has been tables in Rajya Sabha.

Law Minister Arjun Meghwal is responding to points raised by other MPs.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the Congress party and the INDIA bloc support the women's reservation bill.

Responding to criticisms from the Opposition, Nirmala Sitharaman said the BJP has been consistently supportive of women reservation.

"In women-related matters, we (BJP) do not play any politics. It is an article of faith for the PM and therefore we do everything that we have done whether it is Article 370, triple talaq, or women's reservation bill," she said.

Speaking on the implementation of the women's reservation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "Whenever the first census takes place and the relevant figures for that census are published, a fresh delimitation exercise shall be undertaken."

The Minister of State for the Department of Space Jitendra Singh replied to the discussion on the success of Chandrayaan Mission and other successful missions of the country in the field of space.

"We have arranged for solar batteries. The panels are oriented so that they start catching light as soon as the sun rises. As soon as the temperature rises above -10 degrees, our communication circuit will start working," he told Lok Sabha, giving an update on the Chandrayaan 3 mission.

The lander Vikram and rover Pragyan will attempt to restart on Friday as the lunar night ends.

"It is important we build consensus and prepare for economic and social empowerment of women," said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

She credited former PM PV Narasimha Rao's government for bringing 33% reservation at the panchayat level. "As a result, we have seen a groundswell at panchayat level where reservation has been increased to 50 percent at several panchayats showing the contribution of women," she said.

Independent Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal raised the issue of the pending census and the subsequent delimitation that will have an impact on the timeline for implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill.

"The census will be conducted by 2026. If the delimitation process is not completed by 2029, this reservation will not happen. I want the PM and Home Minister to tell the House if the reservation doesn't happen by 2029, then they will resign. Let them make this assurance to know the genuineness," he said.

Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan demanded minorities and OBCs get a quota in the Women's Reservation Bill while extending support to the legislation.

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi demanded the early implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill. She said her party supports the bill but would demand that the reservation policy be brought in from the upcoming 2024 general elections and not the proposed 2029 one.

"What stops the government from having the immediate implementation of the reservation. We can refer the 2010 bill. I support this bill, it is historic and we should take pride in this day," she said.

Congress MP KC Venugopal questioned the sincerity of the government's objective of providing women reservation noting that the ruling party introduced the bill after nine years in power and right before the 2024 general elections to score political points.

"You lost nine and a half years and now you are telling we will implement the bill in 2029. Where is the sincerity? You have a political calculation, this comes after the Karnataka election. Women are empowered after Congress implemented out guarantees," he said.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said in Rajya Sabha his party led by Mamata Banerjee has given representation to women in state and parliamentary level and called for early implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill.

"We are saying, bring this reservation in 2024. Amend the bill. We challenge the BJP, in 2024, you bring one third of women elected in this House," he said.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the escalating India-Canada row is a "disappointing development" and questioned the Canadian leadership for catering to a "political lobby".

"Now there are escalating threats against the safety and security of Indians- Hindu Indians. And I think that once Canada has unleashed this, they should be very conscious of the dangers they're provoking, including, for importing a kind of extremism that doesn't exist in India anymore in Punjab, into their country instead, which is very, very unfortunate. So I would urge the Canadians to also take a deep breath and rethink what they're doing." Tharoor said, reported ANI.

Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar reconstitutes the panel of Vice-Chairpersons comprising 13 women Rajya Sabha Members for the day as the House discusses the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Bill, 2023, reported ANI.

"I am putting forth my statement in support of the 128th Constitutional Amendment Bill. The 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' (Women's Reservation Bill) was passed uninterrupted in the Lok Sabha yesterday and I firmly believe that it will pass in this House too, unanimously," says JP Nadda in Rajya Sabha.

"If we speak of ISRO and look at the scientists - be it Mars Mission or Chandrayaan or Aditya L-1, women scientists have a significant contribution in all of them...", says Nadda.

"The success of Chandrayaan-3 is a big achievement for us, because several other developed countries still continue to make efforts towards reaching Moon, while we have become the first country to reach the southern pole of the Moon," says Union minister Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha.

"I believe this is a matter of pride for all those who feel proud of their nation and its achievements. I congratulate the scientists of ISRO and broader Indian scientific community for this success".

The 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', which will provide 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, is a gift by the nation to the women scientists of ISRO, says Singh.

(With inputs from PTI)

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moves the Women's Reservation Bill in Rajya Sabha.

"This reservation is vertical as well as horizontal. SC-ST women will also have reservation under this. So, Census and Delimitation are important...As soon as the Bill is passed, there will be Census and Delimitation. It is a Constitutional process. Which seat will go to women, this will be decided by the Delimitation Commission...", says Meghwal

"Through the Constitutional Amendment Bill that I have brought today, a section will inserted in Article 330, Article 332 and Article 334. Through these, 1/3rd of the seats will be reserved in Lok Sabha and all State Assemblies of the country. This is a major step".

(with inputs from PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanks all the members of the Lok Sabha for passing the women's reservation bill.

After Lok Sabha passing the women's reservation bill on Wednesday, Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal will move Advocate Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha today, reported ANI.

"In Rajya Sabha, it will be brought through Supplementary Business as we were late in Lok Sabha yesterday. Lok Sabha Secretariat knows better about it. But I can tell you that discussion will be held in Rajya Sabha today", says Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

Amid deteriorating diplomatic ties between India and Canada, NCP leader Supriya Sule asked the government to hold a discussion on the matter during the ongoing special session of Parliament.

India on Tuesday had rejected as 'absurd' and 'motivated' Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations of a 'potential' involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June and kicked out a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case.

Sule raised the issue while speaking on the women's reservation bill in the Lok Sabha. She also demanded a detailed discussion on issues like onion prices, inflation and drought in some parts of the country

Lok Sabha will hold a discussion on the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Just before he adjourned the House for the day after the passage of the women's reservation bill, Speaker Om Birla informed the members that Lok Sabha will take up a discussion on the success of the latest moon mission and the India's glorious space journey.

Rajya Sabha discussed the subject on Wednesday.

"I thank MPs across Party lines who voted in support of this Bill. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is a historic legislation which will further boost women empowerment and will enable even greater participation of women in our political process," said PM Modi.

"Sept. 19, 2023, will be written in golden letters in the history of the Indian Parliament because on this day the new Parliament started functioning on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi and the long-pending bill providing the right to reservation for women was introduced in the House," Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah said.

On Wednesday, Lok Sabha passed the women's reservation bill after a day-long debate on Tuesday. According to the speaker, 454 MPs voted in favour, while two voted no.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, seeks to reserve one-third of the total seats in the lower house of parliament and the state legislative assemblies exclusively for women. A third of the seats will be for women from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The seats will be reserved for 15 years.

The bill was cleared by the cabinet on Monday and tabled in the house on Tuesday. It will come into effect after the delimitation and redrawing of constituencies, which may not happen before the 2029 elections.