In a historic moment for India, the Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the Women’s Reservation Bill a day after the Lok Sabha cleared it. The Bill, which has been christened as ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’, will ensure 33 per cent seats reserved for women in Parliament and the state assemblies. This is for the first time in the history of Indian parliamentary democracy that the women quota bill has got clearance from both Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Mostly the debate around the bill was to introduce OBC reservation within the bill by the Opposition party, Congress and the time period of its implementation. While others had also suggested Muslim women quota. After a long heated discussion in Rajya Sabha the bill got – votes in favour.
The Bill was passed with absolute majority. There were zero abstinence. All 215 members present in the Upper House voted in favour to reserve one third seats for women in Lok Sabha and Assemblies.