Women reservation bill is approved by President Droupadi Murmu

The Women's Reservation Bill, which was enacted by the Parliament last week, was signed into law by President Droupadi Murmu.

The 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhniyam', which provides 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, was unanimously passed by the Rajya Sabha, making it the first bill enacted in the new Parliament building.

On September 20, the Bill was enacted following a vote in which 454 members voted in favour of the legislation and two members voted against it.

The amendments proposed by the opposition were defeated, and isolated sections of the proposed legislation were also put to a vote.

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam bill was enacted 'unanimously' by the Rajya Sabha on September 21, the PM's birthday according to the Hindu calendar. Women members of both Houses of Parliament, including PT Usha, as well as Union Ministers Meenakashi Lekhi and Smriti Irani, presented a bouquet to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the historic passage of the Bill.

The Women's Reservation Bill was enacted by the Rajya Sabha in 2010 during the Congress-led UPA government, but it was not taken up by the Lok Sabha and thus died in the lower house of Parliament.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in Parliament will herald in a new era of stronger representation and empowerment for women in the nation, after the Bill cleared legislative hurdles in both Houses last week.

A defining occasion in the democratic journey of our nation! Greetings to the 140 billion Indians. I appreciate all Rajya Sabha members who supported the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

Such unanimity of support is certainly heartening. With the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in the Indian Parliament, we herald in an era of increased representation and empowerment for Indian women. This is more than just a law; it is a tribute to the innumerable women who have shaped our nation. Their fortitude and contributions have benefited India.

As we celebrate today, we are reminded of the courage, fortitude, and indomitable spirit of every woman in our nation. This historic action is a commitment to ensuring that their voices are heard even more clearly, Prime Minister Modi stated on social media platform X

Minister of the Union Meenakashi Lekhi also praised Prime Minister Modi for the passage of the Bill, stating that it will go down in history as a step towards empowering women.

While the leaders of the Opposition applauded the bill, some expressed concern over the absence of an OBC subquota in the proposed legislation.

K Kavitha, a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC and one of the leading advocates for legislation providing a fairer representation of women in law-making bodies, hailed the passage of the quota Bill in Parliament as a significant step towards ensuring a stronger and more significant role for women in the political process of the nation.

However, she added, "There are a few omissions that draw attention. Painful is the absence of a subquota for OBC women. They should have included a sub-quota in the bill because it would have ensured equal representation of women from disadvantaged sections in the legislative process.