Editorials/Opinions Analysis For UPSC 20 September 2023

Contents:

1. Stree Shakti
2. Serious Allegations

Stree Shakti

Context:

In a momentous development during the Special Session’s relocation to the new Parliament House, the government presented a significant proposal in the Lok Sabha. This proposal aims to allocate one-third of the seats in the Lower House and the Assemblies for women, marking a historic step towards women’s reservation.

Relevance:

GS 2-

• Gender Issues Related to Women
• Women’s Issues
• Government Policies & Interventions

Mains Question:

Highlighting the status of women’s political participation in India, discuss the challenges associated with the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill. (15 marks, 250 words).

About the Bill:

• The cornerstone of this Bill centers on reserving 33 percent of seats in both the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies for female candidates. This reservation will encompass constituencies of all types, including general, Scheduled Caste, and Scheduled Tribe constituencies.
• To ensure a diverse representation of women hailing from various backgrounds, the Bill introduces a rotational system. This system will periodically change the allocated seats for women in sync with each electoral cycle, progressively promoting broader representation over time.
• Within the overarching 33 percent reservation, specific allocations will be designated for women belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. This provision aims to simultaneously address the complex issues of gender and caste-based discrimination.

Necessity of the Bill:

• The Prime Minister informed the House that although over 7,500 public representatives have served in both Houses, the count of female representatives is only around 600, a remarkably low figure.
• The presence of women in the Indian political system has been alarmingly inadequate, and the seat reservation aims to rectify this imbalance.
• This essential and long-awaited legislation aims to address the persistent problem of women’s underrepresentation in legislative bodies and promote their active involvement in shaping the nation with their visionary and powerful voices.

Status of the Bill:

• It’s essential to note that this legislation isn’t an ordinary piece of law; it’s a constitutional amendment. As a result, it requires a special majority in both Houses of Parliament, meaning it needs approval by two-thirds of the members present and voting. Additionally, it must receive ratification from at least 50 percent of State legislatures before it can become law. Political parties will also be obligated to provide equal opportunities to women when distributing electoral tickets, thereby reducing biases in the selection process.
• The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth) Amendment Bill of 2023 will only come into effect following the 2026 delimitation exercise, which will utilize data from the Census to be conducted after the Bill’s passage this year. Consequently, the reservation in the Lok Sabha can only be put into action during the Lok Sabha election in 2029 and not in 2024.

Conclusion:

With an increased presence of women in legislative bodies, the Women’s Reservation Bill is set to have a significant impact on the government’s policy-making process. This could lead to the development of more inclusive and gender-aware laws and policies by empowering women in key political leadership positions. Once this Bill is enacted, it has the capacity to usher in a more inclusive and representative democracy. After a wait of twenty-seven years and thirteen years since its passage by the Rajya Sabha, the Women Reservation Bill is finally on its way to becoming law.

India-Canada Relation

Context:

The Canadian Prime Minister, made a surprising claim by connecting the June killing of a Canadian Khalistani leader to “individuals associated with the Government of India.” His statement, in which he mentioned sharing evidence with India and discussing it with the Indian Prime Minister during a recent bilateral meeting, has initiated a series of consequential developments.

Relevance:

GS2- Bilateral Agreements affecting India’s interests.

Mains Question:

With reference to the recent developments in India-Canada relations, what should be the way forward to ensure an optimum decency in bilateral relations? (10 marks, 150 words)

Recent developments in the incident:

• Following Canada’s expulsion of a senior Indian diplomat, India responded by summoning the Canadian High Commissioner and expelling Canada’s Station chief for intelligence matters on Tuesday.
• The United States and Australia, who are partners with Canada in the “Five Eyes” intelligence sharing agreement, have expressed serious concerns about this situation.
• The External Affairs Ministry has also accused Canadian diplomats of engaging in “anti-India” activities, indicating that more diplomats may come under scrutiny. In response, the Canadian government has mentioned violations of international rule of law and Canadian sovereignty, which could lead to further areas of contention.

Impact of the incident:

• Notably, Prime Minister of Canada received support from his political rivals in Parliament, who made critical remarks about India. This suggests that the strained relations may persist even if a different government comes to power in the 2025 elections.
• It’s worth emphasizing that unlike the situation with Pakistan, where such allegations, name-calling, and public confrontations have become routine, Canada is part of the Western NATO alliance and home to both Indians and people of Indian origin. The impact of this rupture is likely to be felt on a broader scale.
• Earlier this year, India and Canada attempted another reset with visits by Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and expedited free trade negotiations.
• However, following the contentious Trudeau-Modi meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit and Mr. Trudeau’s recent allegations, diplomatic courtesies appear to have come to an end, and the free trade agreement talks have been put on hold.

Conclusion:

At this critical juncture, for the Canadian leadership, the top priority should be to substantiate his grave allegations publicly, or acknowledge his inability to do so. India’s claims regarding Canadian safe havens for anti-India, separatist Khalistani groups with a history of violence have already been supported by numerous incidents, dating back to the early 1980s and including recent instances of targeting Indian diplomats and Indian community centers. New Delhi should also carefully consider its approach to its relationship with Canada. The Indian government had previously welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Canada in 2015, which marked the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister since 1973, with the hope that decades of mistrust over the Khalistan issue could be put aside. There is a need to take recent courses into account while further engaging with Canada.