Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday batted for adequate reservation of women representatives in Parliament and state legislatures and asked all political parties to arrive at an early agreement on the subject matter. He made these remarks while addressing a virtual event by the Indian Association of Parliamentarians for Population and Development (IAPPD).
A bill to provide reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and various state assemblies was passed by the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) but got terminated after the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014. Naidu added that districts with huge imbalance in sex ratios should get greater attention from the elected representatives.
An official statement said the Vice President observed that such a proposal was pending for a long time and also called for moral education in schools so that children grow up and become responsible and sensitive citizens who view gender discrimination as immoral.
Along with pitching for adequate reservation for women in the supreme legislative body, Naidu pushed for stricter implementation of laws to ban female foeticide and dowry and ensure free and compulsory education for the girl child.
The Vice President at the virtual event, also pitched for equipping the elderly with new-age skills in order to lead fuller professionals lives and continue their contribution to nation-building. If young are the ‘demographic dividend’, seniors are ‘demographic bonus’ for the nation, he added.
{{/usCountry}}The Vice President at the virtual event, also pitched for equipping the elderly with new-age skills in order to lead fuller professionals lives and continue their contribution to nation-building. If young are the ‘demographic dividend’, seniors are ‘demographic bonus’ for the nation, he added.
{{/usCountry}}Naidu highlighted that the health system needs to be re-oriented in order to cater to specific needs of the elderly population through provision of medical benefits and insurance coverage.
(with inputs from PTI)