The Aryavarth Express
New Delhi, April 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday underscored the Centre’s efforts to empower women across all stages of life, while backing the proposed amendment to operationalise the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
Addressing the Nari Shakti Vandan Sammelan in the national capital, the Prime Minister highlighted key initiatives introduced since 2014, including the extension of maternity leave to 26 weeks, financial inclusion through Jan Dhan accounts, and housing benefits prioritising women.
He said the government has taken steps to ensure that women’s careers are not disrupted due to motherhood, noting that the 26-week maternity leave provision places India among countries offering strong maternal support. Under the labour codes, women are allowed to take up to eight weeks of leave before delivery, while adoptive and commissioning mothers are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity benefits.
PM Modi also stressed the importance of financial independence in empowering women. He pointed out that over 32 crore women have opened bank accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojana, and that houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana are increasingly being registered in women’s names. He added that such measures are helping women gain a stronger voice in household and economic decision-making.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to political empowerment, the Prime Minister set 2029 as the target for implementing the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which aims to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures.
He noted that the legislation was passed unanimously by Parliament in 2023 and called for cooperation across political parties to ensure its timely implementation. A special session of Parliament, scheduled from April 16, will deliberate on the Amendment Bill and a Delimitation Bill required to operationalise the reservation.
The proposed delimitation exercise could increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 seats. Both bills will require passage as Constitutional amendments. While the existing reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will continue, there is currently no provision for OBC reservation under the proposed framework.
The Prime Minister expressed confidence that collective efforts by all parties would help advance women’s representation in governance and strengthen democratic participation.
