Which of the following is a constitutional provision that promotes the political representation of women in India?
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One-third of the seats in local government bodies are reserved for women.
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One-third of the seats in parliament and state assemblies are reserved for women.
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One-third of the seats in the cabinet are reserved for women.
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One-third of the seats in the judiciary are reserved for women.
Answer:
Answer by Student
The correct answer is (A) One-third of the seats in local government bodies are reserved for women .
Detailed Explanation by Teachoo
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Let’s check all the options:
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Option (A) One-third of the seats in local government bodies are reserved for women
- This is a constitutional provision that promotes the political representation of women in India. It was introduced by the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments in 1992, which gave constitutional status to panchayats and municipalities. This provision aims to increase the participation and empowerment of women at the grassroots level. So, this is
correct
.
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Option (B) One-third of the seats in parliament and state assemblies are reserved for women
- This is not a constitutional provision, but a proposal that has been pending for a long time. There have been several attempts to introduce a bill for reserving one-third of the seats in parliament and state assemblies for women, but it has not been passed yet due to lack of consensus among political parties. So, this is
incorrect
.
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Option (C) One-third of the seats in the cabinet are reserved for women
- This is not a constitutional provision, but a discretionary decision of the prime minister or the chief minister. There is no fixed quota for women in the cabinet, but some governments have voluntarily appointed more women ministers to ensure gender balance. So, this is
incorrect
.
- Option (D) One-third of the seats in the judiciary are reserved for women - This is not a constitutional provision, but a demand of some activists and lawyers. There is no reservation for women in the judiciary, but some women have been appointed as judges in various courts, including the Supreme Court. However, their number is still very low compared to men. So, this is incorrect .
Thus, option (A) is correct .
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