New Delhi:
The Women’s Reservation Bill, passed in the Lok Sabha yesterday, is set for another litmus test today in the Rajya Sabha on Day 4 of the special session of Parliament.

Here are 10 points on this big story:

New Delhi:

Striking an emotive note, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday remembered her “life partner” Rajiv Gandhi while speaking on the women’s reservation bill and said his dream would be fulfilled with the passage of this legislation.

Extending her party’s support to the women’s reservation bill, the Congress parliamentary party chief demanded that the quota be implemented immediately and SC, ST and OBC women also be given reservation following a caste census.

While putting forward strong political points on the bill, she also injected a personal note when she recalled former prime minister and her husband Rajiv Gandhi’s efforts to secure reservation for women.

“This is a very poignant moment in my life. It was my life partner Rajiv Gandhi ji who for the first time had brought the constitutional amendment for participation of women in local bodies, but it was defeated in the Rajya Sabha by seven votes. Later, the Congress government under the leadership of prime minister P V Narasimha Rao got it passed,” she said in the Lok Sabha.

Today, as a result of that, there are 15 lakh elected women leaders through local bodies across the country, she added.

“Rajiv Gandhi’s dream is only half fulfilled. It will be fulfilled with the passage of this bill. The Congress supports this bill,” Mrs Gandhi said.

The constitutional amendment bill was introduced in the Lower House on Tuesday. It was the first bill introduced in the new Parliament building.

The bill provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The reservation will come into effect only after the completion of the census and delimitation exercise.

Rajiv Gandhi first introduced Constitution Amendment Bills for one-third reservation in panchayats and nagarpalikas in May 1989. It was passed in the Lok Sabha but failed in the Rajya Sabha in September 1989.

Later, then prime minister Narasimha Rao reintroduced Constitution Amendment Bills for one-third reservation for women in panchayats and nagarpalikas in April 1993. Both bills were passed and became laws. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Amid a heated debate in Lok Sabha today on the Women’s Reservation Bill, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey alleged that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had “tried to grab the collar” of a Samajwadi Party member during chaos in the House during a debate on quota in promotions in 2012.

The BJP MP from Godda opened the debate for the ruling party. This sparked a protest from Opposition MPs, who demanded that a woman MP should lead the BJP’s charge. Home Minister Amit Shah intervened to question why a man cannot raise issues concerning women.

Taking a swipe at INDIA bloc, Mr Dubey said Congress MPs had thrashed their allies in the Well of Lok Sabha when the then UPA government had brought a Women’s Reservation Bill to Lok Sabha in 2011. He then mentioned the 2012 discussion on a legislation to implement reservation in promotions.

“When I talk about the Bill to bring reservation in promotion, all those in these benches will be up on their feet. (Congress minister) V Narayanasamy was presenting the Bill. Samajwadi Party’s Yashvir Singh was a Scheduled Caste MP; these people talk about Scheduled Castes and Tribes. Yashvir Singh had snatched the papers from Mr Narayanasamy,” he said.

“In this Lok Sabha, Sonia Gandhi had then tried to grab his (Yashvir Singh) collar. I had then told her, ‘you are not the dictator here, you are not the queen, you cannot fight here’,” Mr Dubey added. “Mulayam Singh Yadav had then said that his party’s MPs would not have been saved if the BJP did not intervene. You tried to murder MPs. Now you have come together in an alliance,” he said.

The constitutional amendment Bill, tabled in Lok Sabha Tuesday, aims to provide 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

What Happened In 2012?
News reports from 2012 describe Ms Gandhi’s intervention during the chaos in Lok Sabha. She had reportedly held Yashvir Singh and asked “what are you doing” after he snatched the papers from Mr Narayanasamy, who later went on to serve as Puducherry Governor. The news reports say she had tried to take the papers from Mr Singh’s hands, but could not. Late Mulayam Singh Yadav, then Samajwadi Party chief, had condemned the “attack on our MPs”. 

BJP Credits Left Leader
“The two women who spoke in favour of the women reservation Bill the most were Bengal’s Geeta Mukherjee and BJP’s Sushma Swaraj. We would not see this date without them. But Sonia ji did not mention them. What kind of politics is this?,” Mr Dubey asked. Ms Mukerjee was CPI’s seven-time MP from Bengal’s Panskura between 1980 and 2000. 

Throwback To Sharad Yadav’s “Short Hair” Remark
Mr Dubey referred to a remark by veteran politician late Sharad Yadav on the women reservation Bill that had sparked a huge row. The women reservation Bill was first introduced in Parliament by the HD Devegowda government in 1996. The next year, during a discussion on the legislation, Mr Yadav opposed the move. During his speech, he had remarked that the Bill would empower only “women with short hair” – a euphemism for educated and modern women. The BJP MP’s remarks had sparked a row, forcing him to eventually apologise. 

New Delhi:

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi will be the lead speaker from her party for the debate when the Lok Sabha will take up the Women’s Reservation Bill for the discussion today.

The Women’s Reservation Bill that seeks to provide a 33 per cent quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies was introduced in the Lok Sabha today in the ongoing special session of Parliament and will be taken up for discussion on Wednesday when the House will meet at 11 am.

The Union Cabinet on Monday approved the Women Reservation Bill.

On Tuesday, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the bill in the first sitting of Lok Sabha in the new Parliament building. The bill has been named Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

In 2008, the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government tabled the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, and it was passed in 2010. However, the Bill was never taken up for consideration in the Lok Sabha.

Introducing the bill in the house Meghawal said “This bill is in relation to women empowerment. By amending Article 239AA of the Constitution, 33 per cent of seats will be reserved for women in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. Article 330A reservations of seats for SC/ST in the House of People.”

Arjun Meghwal also said that once the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is passed, the number of seats for women in Lok Sabha will increase to 181. Discussion for passing of the Bill in the House will be taken up on Wednesday, September 20. The Bill will be taken up in Rajya Sabha on September 21 government sources said.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, seeks to introduce three new articles and one new clause in the Constitution.

Under a new clause in 239AA, seats shall be reserved for women in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, 1/3rd of the seats reserved for SCs shall be reserved for women, 1/3rd of the total number of seats to be filled by direct elections shall be reserved for women through law determined by parliament.

Under the new Article – 330A, reservation for women in Lok Sabha – 1/3rd of seats reserved for SCs and STs shall be reserved for women, 1/3rd of total seats to be filled by direct elections to the Lok Sabha shall be reserved for women.

As per the new article 332A, the reserved seats for women in every state Legislative Assembly, 1/3rd of seats reserved for SCs and STs shall be reserved for women, 1/3rd of total seats to be filled by direct elections to the LA shall be reserved for women.

334A, a new article says that reservation shall come into effect after the delimitation is undertaken after the relevant figures for the first census have been published. The rotation of seats for women shall take effect after each subsequent exercise of delimitation.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hyderabad:

The Congress has announced six guarantees if it comes to power in Telangana in what now is becoming an increasingly familiar strategy. Buoyed by its massive victory in next-door Karnataka earlier this year, the Congress has announced provisions for all — women, farmers, youth, statehood activists the elderly population and the homeless.

“I, along with my colleagues, had the opportunity to be part of the birth of this great state. Now it is our duty to take it to a new height,” said former party chief Sonia Gandhi while making the announcement.

“It has been my dream to see the Congress government in Telangana that will work for all sections of society. Are you all going to give us your support?” she asked the people.

Telangana was formed in 2014 when the UPA was still in power after Mrs Gandhi gave the assurance for the formation of a new state. The decades-long agitation was spearheaded by K Chandrasekhar Rao, who helmed the state since its creation and is hoping for a third straight term in power.

The biggest announcement is for the women in the southern state — the Mahalakshmi scheme — not only involves Rs 500 subsidised gas and free travel in state transport buses, it also includes a financial Rs 2,500 per month.

The scheme for farmers include the a Rs 15,000 annual grant, Rs 500 bonus for paddy crops and Rs 12,000 for agricultural laborers.

Under the Gruha Jyothi Guarantee, all households will receive 200 units of free electricity and under Indiramma Indlu Guarantee, those without their own homes will be provided house sites and Rs 5 lakh.
Those who held agitation for the Telangana movement will receive 250 sq yard plots.

The schemes for students and young people will include Vidya Bharosa Cards worth Rs 5 lakh and an International School in every district.

The elderly will get a monthly pension of Rs 4,000 and Rs 10 lakh coverage under the Rajiv Arogyasri insurance.

Most of the schemes top the state government schemes many of which are the best in the country.

Mr Rao’s government, for example, already pays Rs 2016 as pension, which is among the highest in the country. But they have said they may match the amount the Congress is offering.

The state’s farmer investment support scheme Rythu Bandhu gives Rs 4,000 per acre to each farmer in the growing season, but it is only for landed farmers and not the tenants or landless labourers.

The Arogyasree health insurance is already one of the best in country and better than the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat. But Rs 10 lakh cover is the higher limit.

The state also offers a fee reimbursement scheme for higher education for almost every category of students.

The KCR government also has a 2BHK  housing scheme.