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Noting that the new Parliament is not just a new building but also a symbol of a new beginning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged members of Rajya Sabha to support the Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam unanimously.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha in its first sitting in the new Parliament building, Prime Minister remarked that the occasion is historic and memorable. He underlined the intentions of the makers of the Constitution that the upper House of Parliament becomes a centre for serious intellectual discussions rising above the ebb and flow of political discourse. The Prime Minister quoted former President Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan that the Parliament is not just a legislative body but a deliberative body. He said that it is always a pleasure to hear quality debates in Rajya Sabha. At the dawn of Amrit Kaal, this new building will infuse a new energy in 140 crore Indians, he said. The Prime Minister stressed the need to achieve goals in a set time frame as the nation is no longer ready to wait. He said that the time has come to move with new thinking and style to meet the aspirations of the people and that will require expanding the scope of work and thought process. The Prime Minister said that the House can be a source of inspiration for the legislative bodies all over the country with regard to parliamentary probity. He spoke of some of the decisions taken in the last nine years. Touching upon such issues was considered a huge mistake from the political standpoint, the Prime Minister said and noted that the government took major strides even though it did not have the required numbers in the Rajya Sabha. He expressed satisfaction that the issues were taken up and resolved for the betterment of the nation and credited the maturity and intellect of the members for the same. The dignity of the Rajya Sabha was upheld not because of sheer numbers in the house but due to the dexterity and understanding, he said. The Prime Minister said despite the changes in governments in a democratic setup, the effort has been to keep the national interest supreme. He underlined Rajya Sabhas role as House of the States and mentioned the coronavirus pandemic as an example of Centre-state cooperation. He said the diversity of the country was showcased during G20 events in more than 60 cities and the summit in Delhi. This is the power of cooperative federalism, he said. He also mentioned that the new Parliament building also represents the spirit of federalism as artefacts from states have found a place of prominence in the scheme of the new building. Highlighting the growing impact of technology in daily life, the Prime Minister mentioned that advancements that took more than 50 years to accomplish can be witnessed within a few weeks now. He stressed the need to mould oneself in a dynamic way to adapt to the growing technological advancements. The Prime Minister said that in the Samvidhan Sadan, the country celebrated 75 years of Independence and when the country celebrates the centenary of Independence in the new parliament building in 2047, it will be a celebration of a developed country. I am confident that in the New Parliament, we will be part of the top three economies of the world. While we undertook many measures for the welfare of the poor, in the new Parliament we will achieve saturation of coverage of those schemes. The Prime Minister emphasized the need to adopt new technologies and urged the members to support each other in getting accustomed to the new technology support available in the House. In this Digital Age, the Prime Minister said, we must make technology a part of our lives. Referring to Make in India, the Prime Minister said that the nation is making the most out of this initiative with new energy and enthusiasm. He said that the participation of women is being ensured in many sectors. Potential of women should get opportunities. Time of ifs and buts in their lives is over. He said the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme became a peoples programme. He also mentioned womens participation in Jan Dhan and Mudra Yojana, Ujjwala scheme and the law against triple talaq. He said women-led development was the biggest topic of discussion in G20. The Prime Minister mentioned that the issue of reservation for women in the Parliament has been pending for decades and everyone has contributed towards it in their capacity. Pointing out that the bill was first introduced in 1996, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the bill for the reservation of women in Lok Sabha and assemblies will finally become law. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was introduced as a Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha today and will be up for debate tomorrow. (ANI)
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