The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on a plea filed by the NGO National Federation of Indian Women seeking re-introduction of the Women's Reservation Bill, 2008 to secure 33% quota for women in the Lok Sabha and the legislative assemblies. The bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and J. K. Maheshwari stated that the petitioner "has raised an issue of considerable importance."
Appearing for the Union of India, Advocate Kanu Agrawal submitted that a serious issue of maintainability arises in the matter which the court agreed to hear on the next date and sought the response of the Union of India on the issue. Advocate Prashant Bhushan represented the petitioner.
The bench asked the Centre to file its response within a period of six weeks and granted a further time of three weeks to the NGO to file its rejoinder affidavit and listed the matter for further hearing in the month of March 2023.
The Women's Reservation Bill proposed an amendment to the Constitution to introduce 1/3rd reservation for women in Parliament and all State Assemblies.
It was submitted before the Court in the petition that it has been 25 years since the first women's reservation bill was introduced. The petition also pointed out that the Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha in 2010 but lapsed after the dissolution of the Lok Sabha, it was not placed before the Lok Sabha even though it was passed by the Rajya Sabha
The petition submitted that, "the non-introduction of the Bill is arbitrary, illegal and is leading to discrimination. It is submitted that the Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010 and has been crystallized so as to its aims and objectives to a large extent. In view thereof it is submitted that non-introduction of such an important and beneficial Bill, on which there is a virtual consensus of all major political parties, is arbitrary."
It was stated in the petition that bill and its objectives have been supported by the political parties and the manifestoes of the parties like that of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian National Congress (INC), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Shiromani Akali Dal, Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM), Biju Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party, National Congress Party (NCP) have promised the passing of the bill.
National Federation of Indian Women versus Union of India | WP(c) 1158/2021
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