The Rajya Sabha passed two separate bills on Jammu and Kashmir within 10 minutes of their move into the house amid a logjam by the joint opposition over the Parliament security breach incident that occurred last week.
Union Minister of State for Home Nityanad Rai moved one by one the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the House for their consideration and passage.
As the opposition did not take part in the discussion on these bills and trooped into the well of the House sloganeering and seeking the statement of Home Minister Amit Shah on the December 13 security breach incident that occurred in the Lok Sabha, the Upper House passed these bills through a voice vote without any debate.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023, seeks to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha last week.
The Bill reserves, as nearly as possible, one-third of all elected seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly for women. This reservation will also apply to the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Assembly.
The reservation will be effective once the census conducted after the commencement of this Bill has been published. Based on the census, delimitation will be undertaken to reserve seats for women. The reservation will be in place for 15 years. However, it will continue till such date as determined by a law made by Parliament. Seats reserved for women will be rotated after each delimitation, as determined by a law made by Parliament.
The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to reserve 33 per cent of seats in the Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry Assemblies for women. The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha last week.
The Bill reserves one-third of all elected seats in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly for women. This will also apply to the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Assembly.
The reservation will be effective once the census conducted after the commencement of this Bill has been published. Based on the census, delimitation will be undertaken to reserve seats for women. The reservation will be provided for 15 years. However, it will continue till such date as determined by a law made by Parliament.
Seats reserved for women will be rotated after each delimitation, as determined by a law made by Parliament.
