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VP Dhankar reconstitutes panel of vice-chairpersons with 50% women MPs
The eight-member panel will now have four female members, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs PT Usha and S. Phangnon Konyak, Nationalist Congress Party MP Fouzia Khan, and Biju Janata Dal MP Sulata Deo
In a historic move, Rajya Sabha chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday announced that he has reconstituted the panel of vice-chairpersons with 50% of women Parliamentarians.
The VP made the announcement in the Upper House on the first day of the Monsoon Session.
“The House members are informed that the panel of vice-chairpersons has been reconstituted with effect from July 17, 2023… honourable members will be happy to note that 50% of the vice chairpersons happen to be women,” said Dhankar.
“All four women Parliamentarians nominated are first time members,” he said.
Taking to Twitter, Dhankar termed the representation of women in the panel of vice-chairpersons as “historic”.
The eight-member panel will now have four female members, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs PT Usha and S. Phangnon Konyak, Nationalist Congress Party MP Fouzia Khan, and Biju Janata Dal MP Sulata Deo.
The vice chairpersons are eligible to preside over the house in the absence of the chairman or the deputy chairman.
Besides, Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party MP V. Vijayasai Reddy, Ghanshyam Tiwari from BJP, Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Shekhar Roy, and L. Hanumanthaiah from the Indian National Congress were announced as members of the panel.
The Monsoon Session of Parliament began on July 20 and will continue till August 11. A total of 17 sittings are scheduled to be held in this session.
