Supreme Court Questions Government’s Silence on Women’s Reservation Bill PIL
Ten News Network
New Delhi, August 11, 2023: The Supreme Court has directed the Indian government to explain its lack of response to a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning the women’s reservation bill. The court emphasized the significance of the issue and expressed surprise at the government’s reluctance to file a response.
The PIL, initiated by the National Federation of Indian Women two years ago, urged the court to instruct the government to revive the lapsed 33% women’s reservation bill from 2014.
The bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti stated, “Why is the government shying away from filing a response? We are surprised that you have not taken a stand. It is too important an issue that concerns us all.”
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, highlighted that while major political parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress were named as respondents, only the Communist Party of India had submitted an affidavit.
The bench expressed its interest in political parties’ opinions on the matter, commenting, “Obviously there are certain restrictions on us which we cannot exceed. But a reply should be filed by the union government. I was also interested to see what political parties had to say on this issue. But none of them, except one, has come forward.”
Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj agreed to file a response, with the matter scheduled for October. The PIL was initially issued notice in November last year, with a deadline of six weeks for the government’s response. However, the case was postponed to March as the government sought more time.
The petition underscores the importance of placing women in positions of authority to address the unequal status caused by a patriarchal mindset. The plea also highlights that despite constitutional provisions for gender equality, only about 14% of parliamentary representation is occupied by women.
The Women’s Reservation Bill, passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010, lapsed in 2014 due to the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha. The petition argues that the bill’s non-introduction is arbitrary and discriminatory, hindering progress toward gender equality.
