Passing of Women's Reservation Bill is landmark, testimony to inclusiveness of Indian Parliament: RS Deputy Chairman

Kampala (Uganda), January 5 : Deputy Chairman Rajya Sabha Harivansh participated in a range of discussions at the 27th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) at Kampala, Uganda.
These discussions included subjects such as 'Environment, Climate Change and Role of Parliament', 'Diverse and Inclusive Parliaments', and 'Health and Well-being Support in Parliaments' which were held across two days i.e. on January 4 and 5, 2024.
During the discussion on Environment and Climate Change, Harivansh underlined various initiatives undertaken by the government as well as the Parliament. Parliament had debated and discussed them in detail.
He further added that "Indian Parliament has always been proactive in creating the enabling legal framework and institutions to deal with impacts of climate change". This has amply been reflected in the rising number of questions pertaining to climate shifts over the past two decades.
As such the issues of climate financing, migration challenges, innovative approaches to mitigation and adaptation plans, and better disaster management preparedness have also featured prominently in the debates of the Indian Parliament.
In this context, speaking about India's 'Go Green' initiatives, Harivansh said that E-vehicles are being used to ferry MPs to the Parliament Complex and the efforts are on to make the Parliament fully digitised and paperless.
In another discussion on diverse and inclusive Parliaments, Harivansh said that an inclusive Parliament must reflect the diversity of the people and also focus on the diverse needs of different groups including those of the youth and women.
He also highlighted the landmark passing of the Women's Reservation Bill that provides one-third reservation of seats to women in Parliament and State Assemblies. The passing of this bill is a testimony to the inclusiveness of the Indian Parliament.
He also underlined the role of Parliamentary Committees, gender budgeting and other such initiatives to ensure our policies are more gender sensitive.
"India has the advantage of demographic dividend. The Parliament of India is fully conscious and sensitive to the needs of the two-thirds i.e. youth and women, of our population," he added.
In another discussion related to the health and well-being of Parliamentarians held during the conference, Harivansh said that well well-being of Parliamentarians directly impacts the quality of governance and the lives of the people they serve.
He updated the gathering on various facilities provided by the Parliament to MPs for better health and well-being.