The Aryavarth Express:
New Delhi, April 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a national-level ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Sammelan’ at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday, aimed at advancing discussions on women’s participation in governance and leadership.
The Prime Minister, in a post on X, said the programme will bring together women from diverse fields and strengthen conversations around enhancing their role in building a Viksit Bharat. He emphasized the need for greater participation of women in Parliament and state legislative assemblies as part of the country’s development journey.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Sammelan will see participation from representatives across sectors such as government, academia, science, sports, entrepreneurship, media, social work, and culture. The event seeks to reaffirm the government’s commitment to women-led development and highlight the growing role of women in decision-making processes at all levels—from Panchayats to Parliament.
The Sammelan also aligns with the broader vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, underscoring women’s contributions to India’s long-term development goals.
The event comes in the backdrop of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, passed by Parliament in September last year, which provides for 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The government is preparing for its implementation, with a Parliament session scheduled for April 16.
The proposed rollout of the reservation is linked to the next census and delimitation exercise. However, due to delays in conducting a fresh census, the government is considering proceeding based on the 2011 census data. As part of the process, the number of Lok Sabha seats could increase from 543 to 816 after delimitation.
The Centre is expected to bring two key constitutional amendments, including a separate Delimitation Bill, to operationalise women’s reservation. While the existing provisions for SC/ST reservation will continue, there is currently no proposal for OBC reservation under the amendment.
