India’s lower house of parliament has passed a “historic” bill that would reserve one in three legislative seats for women.
The women's reservation bill passed late on Wednesday and proposes 33 per cent of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha (lower house) and 1,370 of the 4,109 seats in state legislative assemblies are reserved for female politicians. It will also give sub-reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The legislation is unlikely to be implemented until after 2027, triggering allegations from the opposition that it is a political gimmick ahead of next year's national elections.
The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha with the support of 454 parliamentarians.
Only two members, Asaduddin Owaisi and Syed Imtiyaz Jaleel of the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen, opposed the bill, saying it should reserve places for Muslim women.
It will now be tabled in Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament, for debate on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who introduced the bill, officially titled Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, said he was “delighted” with the passage of the “historic” legislation.
“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,” Mr Modi said on X, formerly Twitter.
The debate lasted for eight hours and saw 60 members including 27 women take part. The voting process took two a further two hours, with members casting their ballots using paper slips.
Home Minister Amit Shah said that a census will be carried out to implement the bill after next year's elections.
The census will be followed by the demarcation of new boundaries for parliamentary and assembly constituencies.
Opposition parties have demanded that the bill be implemented immediately.
“It is the demand of the Congress to implement the bill immediately,” said Sonia Gandhi of the Indian National Congress, who led the debate.
She also urged the inclusion of the provisions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other minority groups in the bill.
Schedule Caste are reserved categories for people belonging to lower caste in the Hindu caste hierarchy system. Scheduled Tribes are reserved categories for indigenous tribal communities. The Other Backward Classes are described as groups who are educationally or socially disadvantaged.
The bill was first introduced in Lok Sabha in 1996 but failed to win approval. It was later proposed in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2008.
It was passed in Rajya Sabha in 2010 following two days of tense debate, with marshals escorting some of the opposition politicians. The bill then lapsed after failing to make it through the lower house.
The government, which is holding a five-day special session of parliament this week, met cabinet ministers late on Monday before introducing the bill.
There are currently 78 female politicians in the lower house, about 14 per cent of the 543 members. Most state assemblies are made up of 10 to 12 per cent women, the government said.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH DETAILS
Chelsea 4
Jorginho (4 pen, 71 pen), Azpilicueta (63), James (74)
Ajax 4
Abraham (2 og), Promes (20). Kepa (35 og), van de Beek (55)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
