President Droupadi Murmu praised the government's introduction of a bill providing 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, calling it a "transformative revolution in our times for gender justice." She made this statement during the inauguration of the biennial conference of the national human rights institutions (NHRIs) of the Asia Pacific region. The bill, introduced in the new Parliament building, aims to increase female representation in political bodies. The conference, organized by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Forum (APF), is set to address various human rights issues.

  Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has called for the immediate enactment of the women's reservation bill in India's Lok Sabha, expressing her party's support for the legislation. She emphasized the importance of implementing the bill without further delay and also advocated for the inclusion of reservations for SC, ST, and OBC women, along with conducting a caste census. Sonia Gandhi highlighted the contributions of prominent Indian women in the independence movement and called for honoring their legacy through this legislation. The Union Cabinet has recently approved a Constitution amendment bill to provide women's reservation in national and state legislatures, a long-standing demand in India.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury expressed concern that the copies of the Constitution provided to lawmakers on the opening day of the new Parliament building did not include the words "secular" and "socialist" in its Preamble. He accused the government of making this change cleverly and questioned their intentions. Chowdhury wanted to raise the issue in Parliament but didn't get the opportunity. He emphasized the presence of these words while reading the Preamble in Parliament. MPs received various gifts on the new Parliament building's opening day, including a copy of the Constitution of India.

The Congress criticized the Women's Reservation Bill as an election gimmick that betrays women. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said linking implementation to the next Census makes it a hollow promise since the 2021 Census was not conducted. He accused the government of headline management without a timeline for actualizing reservations. Ramesh questioned if the required Census and delimitation will be completed before 2024 polls. Dismissing the bill as 'jumla', Congress alleged the government is only seeking votes in the name of women empowerment without genuine intent to enact reservations. The criticism exposes the political faultlines despite broad support for increased representation of women in legislatures.

The Women's Reservation Bill seeks to grant 33% reservation to women in Lok Sabha & Assemblies, excluding Rajya Sabha. It reserves 1/3rd SC/ST seats for women and rotates reserved seats between elections. However, it excludes OBC women and links implementation to delimitation. The bill is a step towards improving women's representation but critical provisions like OBC exclusion, Rajya Sabha exclusion and delimitation linkage need review. For more details on the key provisions of the Women's Reservation Bill

A local Congress leader, Baljinder Singh Balli, was shot dead outside his residence in Punjab's Moga on Monday. CCTV captured two bike-borne assailants firing at Balli before fleeing. Hours later, Canada-based Khalistani terrorist Arsh Dalla took responsibility in a Facebook post, alleging Balli ruined his future. Dalla, wanted by NIA and active in Punjab killings from Canada, said Balli caused his mother's custody. The audacious murder highlights Khalistani extremism threatening India from abroad. Police have launched an investigation into the Congress block president's killing claimed by the overseas terrorist.

Speaking at a special parliament session on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the introduction of the Women's Reservation Bill, stating that discussion on it has happened for long but lacked majority support earlier. He said the bill on women's participation in both Houses was introduced multiple times during Vajpayee's tenure but the dream remained unfulfilled. Modi expressed gratitude for the opportunity to take this forward under his government. He hailed the tabling of the new bill as a historic step, noting that women's reservation has been a long-pending dream. Modi underscored his government's commitment to women's empowerment through the landmark bill.

As the special parliament session shifted to the new building on Tuesday, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury symbolically carried a copy of the Constitution while leading his MPs inside. Earlier, PM Modi had led BJP parliamentarians into the new structure. The gesture of holding the Constitution highlights its significance as the foundation of India's democracy which the leaders will uphold in the new building. Modi also proposed naming the old parliament 'Samvidhan Sadan' in his final speech there, recalling key laws passed in it. The entry of MPs upholding the Constitution sets the tone for parliamentary democracy to thrive in the new building.

A special function commenced in the Central Hall of the old Parliament house on Tuesday in the presence of MPs from both Houses. The session aims to commemorate the rich parliamentary legacy of India and resolve to transform the country into a developed nation by 2047, marking 100 years of independence. Attended by Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha members, the special event provides an occasion to highlight India's parliamentary history and democracy while setting ambitious goals for the future. The session underscores the shared vision of building a developed India by the 100th year of freedom.

At a special session of Parliament on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed that the old Parliament building be named 'Samvidhan Sadan' (Constitution House) when the new Parliament is inaugurated. He stated that the dignity of the iconic building should be maintained even after Parliament moves to the new structure. The Prime Minister urged that the old building should not just be known as the 'Old Parliament House' but rather be given the more meaningful name 'Samvidhan Sadan' to reflect its significance as the site where the Constitution was framed. PM Modi's suggestion highlights the building's heritage and aims to preserve its stature when Parliament convenes in the new building.