Editorial 1: Road ahead on women Quota
Recent context:
- Recently, government brought The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023 to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies.
- Earlier,In March 2010, Rajya Sabha passed The Constitution (One Hundred and Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2008, but the legislation was not taken up by Lok Sabha.
What does the Bill introduced in Lok Sabha say? In what ways is it similar to or different from earlier passed by Rajya Sabha ?
- According to The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill 2023, “as nearly as maybe, one-third (including the seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election to the House of People shall be reserved for women”.
- The Bill proposes a similar provision for Assemblies in the states and Delhi.
- Like the previous Bill, The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill 2023 proposes to introduce new articles — 330A and 332A — in the Constitution. These new provisions will introduce the changes for Lok Sabha and Assemblies respectively.
- Like the 2010 Bill, the current one also has a sunset clause, mandating that the reservation will be for a period of 15 years from the date of commencement of the Act.
- The key difference, however, is that the Bill makes the implementation of women’s reservation contingent upon the delimitation process.
How soon can the Bill be expected to come into effect?
- The Bill states: “Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provision of this Part or Part VIII, the provisions of the Constitution relating to the reservation of seats for women in the House of People, the Legislative Assembly of State, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi shall come into effect after an exercise of delimitation is undertaken for this purpose after the relevant figures for the first census taken after the commencement of The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill 2023 have been published, and shall cease to have effect on the expiration of a period of 15 years from the date of such commencement.”
- The upshot of these conditions is that women’s reservation may not effectively be operationalised in Lok Sabha before the general elections of 2029.
- The 42nd Amendment froze the delimitation exercise until the results of the first Census after 2000 was published. In 2001, this was further extended for 25 years. And now, delimitation would happen after the results of the first Census after 2026 is published.
How will the reserved seats be identified in the first instance, and subsequently?
- The Bill states that one-third of the seats in Parliament and state Assemblies will be reserved for women.
- However, it doesn’t specify how these seats will be identified. It’s important to remember that this proposed constitution amendment is enabling in nature.
- In other words, it will grant the government the power to enact a law for its implementation. Hence, it is expected that the determination of seats will be addressed by a separate law that the government will introduce.
How are the seats that are reserved for SCs and STs decided currently?
- The Delimitation Act, 2002 lays down broad principles for reserving seats. The Delimitation Commission appointed under the Act is responsible for deciding the number of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies to be reserved based on the population.
- “Constituencies in which seats are reserved for the Scheduled Castes shall be distributed in different parts of the State and located, as far as practicable, in those areas where the proportion of their population to the total is comparatively large,” Section 9 (1)(c) of the Act says.
- Similarly, for the Scheduled Tribes, the Act says: “Constituencies in which seats are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes shall, as far as practicable, be located in areas where the proportion of their population to the total is the largest.”
What constitutional amendments will be needed to operationalise the scheme of women’s reservation?
- For delimitation which is a precondition for the implementation of reservation — Articles 82 and 170(3) of the Constitution would have to be amended.
- Article 82 provides for the readjustment of constituencies (number and boundaries) of both Lok Sabha and state Assemblies after every Census. Article 170(3) deals with composition of the Legislative Assemblies.
How does reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions and Urban Local Bodies work?
- Article 243D of the Constitution provides for reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women in Panchayats.
- It also says that nothing in this part shall prevent the legislature of a state from making any provision for reservation of seats in any Panchayat or offices of Chairpersons in the Panchayats at any level in favour of the backward classes of citizens.
- As per the provisions of Article 243D, not less than one-third of the total number of seats reserved for SCs and STs shall be reserved for women.
- According to government data, as on September 8, 2021, in at least 18 states, the percentage of women elected representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions was more than 50 per cent: Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Kerala, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Manipur, Telangana, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.
Significance of the Women's Reservation Bill
Gender Equality
- Historical Underrepresentation: Historically, women have been significantly underrepresented in India's political landscape. This underrepresentation perpetuates gender inequality as it restricts women's ability to influence policies and decisions that affect their lives.
- Political Empowerment: The Women's Reservation Bill is a proactive measure to ensure that women have a fair opportunity to participate in the highest levels of decision-making in the country, promoting gender equality in politics.
- Symbolic Importance: It signifies that Indian society recognizes and values the contributions of women in politics, sending a message that women’s voices and perspectives are essential in shaping the nation's future.
Empowerment
- Access to Political Arena: The Women's Reservation Bill empowers women by granting them equal access to the political arena. It breaks down traditional barriers and prejudices that may have discouraged women from entering politics in the past, such as social norms and lack of opportunities.
- Enhancing Political Skills: As more women enter politics and gain experience, it helps in building their leadership and governance skills. This empowerment extends beyond politics, as women who succeed in the political sphere can become role models for others, inspiring greater participation in various fields.
- Policy Influence: Through political participation, women gain the power to influence policies that directly impact their lives and those of their communities. This empowerment translates into tangible changes in areas such as healthcare, education, gender-based violence, and economic opportunities.
Diverse Perspectives
- Addressing Gender-Specific Issues: Increased female representation in politics brings attention to gender-specific issues that may have been overlooked in the past. Women often advocate for policies related to maternal health, childcare, gender-based violence, and economic opportunities that directly affect women and families.
- Enhancing Decision-Making: Diverse perspectives lead to more comprehensive and balanced decision-making. When women are actively involved in policymaking, the resulting laws and regulations are more likely to consider the needs and interests of the entire population, not just a segment of it.
- Social and Cultural Change: Female political leaders can challenge traditional gender roles and norms, inspiring broader social and cultural change. Their presence in politics can help break down stereotypes and create a more inclusive and gender-equal society.
Conclusion:
- The Women's Reservation Bill, with its goal of reserving 33% of seats for women in Parliament and legislative assemblies, represents a significant step toward achieving gender equality in Indian politics.
- However, overcoming political challenges and societal norms remains crucial for its successful implementation. Advocacy, public awareness, and consensus-building efforts are essential for moving forward with this important legislation.
Editorial 2: The future of Eurasia
Recent Context:
- Recently, At the G20 Summit, President Joe Biden, joined by the leaders of India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Commission, unveiled the multi-modal India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC).
- This economic Corridor comprises an eastern route, facilitating India’s connection to the Arabian Gulf via sea lanes, and a northern route, linking Saudi Arabia to Europe through Jordan and Israel.
- The combined GDP of the IMEC nations (including the EU as a bloc) is roughly $47 trillion, representing about 40 per cent of the world’s total GDP.
Importance of IMEC:
- Promote better connectivity: It envisions a reliable, cost-effective railway and ship-to-rail transit network to supplement maritime and road routes, enabling goods and services to move between India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and the EU. IMEC is India’s moment.
- Development and employment generation in the region due to infrastructure development.
- It will also be the cornerstone of economic progress across the region by supercharging regional trade, and connecting Asia with Europe through a region that has never, since the ancient Red Sea route, been considered for such connectivity despite its game-changing potential in terms of shorter transits, accessibility, and multimodal connectivity.
- It will save time compare to existing one route:
- The maritime corridor between Asia and Europe currently remains rooted in the saturated Suez Canal and Mediterranean shipping routes despite being longer and involving additional logistics costs.
- It takes 11 days to sail from JNPT in Maharashtra to Suez port, and six days to Dammam. An additional 24-hour transit by railway could land consignments at Haifa, saving three to four days of transit.
- It will strengthen the supply chain among the partner nations.
- IMEC, which promises shorter routes. It links major ports of western India including JNPT, Kochi, Kandla and Mundra with major shipping ports of the Gulf, including Jebel Ali, Fujairah, Ras Al-Khair, Dammam, Duqm, and Salalah
- It will help in countering the China’s hegemony of Belt and Road Initiative in the Asia and European region.
IMEC has collective vision for the broader Eurasian
- The IMEC embodies a collective vision for the broader Eurasian supercontinent, extending beyond trade, energy and digital resilience.
- The Corridor aims to forge a path towards an increasingly interwoven transoceanic system that extends from the Mediterranean region through West Asia to the expansive Indo-Pacific.
IMEC shows shift in power toward East:
- IMEC serves as an implicit acknowledgment, on the part of Washington and Brussels, of the palpable ramifications of the rise of non-Western powers and the undeniable shift of the economic and geopolitical centre of the world further east.
- The IMEC highlights the necessity of ceding more substantial global leadership roles to India, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE that are forefront of reconfiguring the future of the economic and geopolitical system in Eurasia.
- Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, New Delhi, and other emergent powers in Eurasia will wield substantial sway in recalibrating the broader power dynamics across the supercontinent.
- Therefore, Forging coalitions with partners and allies to influence the emerging multipolar world order. India, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE symbolise this new world order, while Europe represents the ageing post-World War II liberal world order.
IMEC embodies Europe geopolitical significance and the US’s Eurasian strategy in the post-US hegemony era
- For Europe specifically, the Corridor symbolises the bloc’s most ambitious effort to attain geopolitical significance and unity outside the European mainland in the new multipolar reality by embracing this transoceanic framework
- USA is aiming to shape a balanced power structure across the broader Eurasian landscape
- .The goal is to prevent a loose coalition of states such as China, Russia, and Iran from dominating the supercontinent by strengthening the profiles of countries like India, Saudi Arabia, and Japan, enabling them to project economic and geopolitical influence and actively contribute to a balanced Eurasian power structure
- An underappreciated aspect of the IMEC is, , aside from the design and operational challenges, it represents another attempt to bring Saudi Arabia and Israel together under a single transcontinental framework and contributes to ongoing US-backed efforts to secure a normalisation agreement between the two nations.
Conclusion:
- The launch of the IMEC marks a significant milestone in the ongoing global shift of power towards the East. It signifies the commitment of the US, Europe, and emerging powers such as India, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE to promoting a more balanced and interconnected Eurasian order.
- However, the success of the IMEC depends on several critical factors. These include conducting a realistic assessment of each nation’s rationale for participation, advancing the project beyond a Memorandum of Understanding, addressing logistical and operational challenges, and prioritising electricity, digital connectivity, and clean hydrogen at the initial stages of the Corridor.