Opposition’s Vice-Presidential candidate #MargaretAlva said the government can pass the Women’s #Reservation Bill in minutes if it wants.
In an interview with United News of India, when Margaret Alva was asked how women in decision making and Constitutional posts usher change, she said the experience of the 33 percent reservation to women in the Panchayat election has shown the difference they make. “I have always said that women look at issues and problems differently. There is much more of a human touch when women become decision makers,”
Women in decision-making roles usher change and bring development with a human face, Opposition’s Vice-Presidential candidate Margaret Alva said, adding that if the NDA government wants, they can pass the Women’s Reservation Bill in minutes, and wondered what was stopping them.
She also told UNI. “All the reports on the functioning of Panchayats after women’s reservation came showed the agenda, the atmosphere changed and the development agenda came with a human face. “It is not just roads and buildings, it is things like primary health center, drinking water, anganwadi are now being given priority,” she said.
“When women come in large numbers they are able to influence policy, bring in change,” said Alva. Asked about her views on the Women’s Reservation Bill, which was passed by Rajya Sabha in 2008 through the Constitution (One Hundred and Eighth Amendment) Bill, but was never taken up by the lower House, she said, “If this government wants, the Women’s Reservation Bill can be passed in half a day… this Bill has been passed in Rajya Sabha, you have an overwhelming majority in Lok Sabha, and all big parties are supporting it. “If you are serious about empowering women, why aren’t you bringing the Bill and passing it, and giving women their due share and place in decision-making,” she asked.
Alva also said after ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’, one of the flagship programs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government, it should now be on “Beti Jitao” (let daughters win). The Women’s Reservation Bill or The Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, is a bill which proposes to amend the Constitution to reserve one-third of all seats in the Lok Sabha, and in all state legislative assemblies for women.
The seats were proposed to be reserved in rotation and would have been determined by the draw of lots in such a way that a seat would be reserved only once in three consecutive general elections.
The Rajya Sabha passed the bill on March 9, 2010. However, the Lok Sabha never voted on the bill. As per experts, the bill has lapsed as it was still pending in Lok Sabha after the term of the House expired. Bills with the Lok Sabha lapse after the term of the House concludes. However, Bills that are property of the Rajya Sabha do not lapse as it is a permanent house, and not subject to dissolution.
Margaret Alva (born 14 April 1942) is an Indian politician who served as the 17th Governor of Goa, 23rd Governor of Gujarat, 20th Governor of Rajasthan and 4th Governor of Uttarakhand until the end of her tenure in August 2014. She has formerly served as the Cabinet Minister. She took over in Rajasthan from the Punjab governor, Shivraj Patil, who had been holding an additional charge of that state. Before being appointed governor, she was a senior figure in the Indian National Congress and was Joint Secretary of the All India Congress Committee. Her mother-in-law, Violet Alva, was the Second Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha in the 1960s.
On 17 July 2022, the United Progressive Alliance along with some other non-UPA opposition parties nominated her for the post of Vice President of India in the 2022 election.