Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that reservation for women in legislative bodies is the need of the hour to make Indian democracy more vibrant and participative. Expressing his thoughts in an Op-Ed, Mr Modi said that any delay in bringing this reservation will be deeply unfortunate. Sharing a video, the Prime Minister said that Parliament has been convened on 16th of this month to discuss and pass an important bill that advances women’s reservation.

 

Prime Minister Modi said that it is imperative that the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly elections to the various states in the coming times are conducted with women’s reservation in place. He said that, over the decades, there have been repeated efforts to provide women with their rightful place in democratic institutions by the previous governments. Mr Modi said, Committees were made and bill drafts were introduced, but they never saw the light of day. He said, in September 2023, Parliament passed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam with the same spirit of consensus.

 

The Prime Minister said that women constitute nearly half of India’s population and their contributions to the nation are vast and invaluable. In his Op-Ed, Mr Modi said that the reservation for women in legislative bodies is a reflection of the aspirations of crores of women across India and an affirmation of the principle that society progresses when women progress.

 

Highlighting the contribution of women, the Prime Minister said women are at the forefront of the country’s progress across every field, from science and technology to entrepreneurship, from sports to the armed forces and from music to the arts. He added that when women participate in administration and decision-making, they bring with them experiences and insights that enrich public discourse and improve the quality of governance.