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Govt introduces Women's Reservation Bill in LS; PM urges members to open doors of opportunities for women on this historic day https://newsonair.gov.in/

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19/09/2023 #GaneshChaturthi #NewParliamentDay

Indonesia kicks off ASEAN joint military drills amid South China Sea tension Indonesia kicked off the first joint military drills by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc on Batam island on September 19 amid rising maritime tension with China in the South China Sea region. The five-day ASEAN Solidarity Exercise-01 Natuna (ASEX-01N) exercise, will be held at Indonesia's Natuna Islands near the South China Sea. Military personnel from all ASEAN member countries, including East Timor will participate. The non-combat drills are aimed at cooperation and strengthening strategic partnership among the member countries, Indonesia military chief Yudo Margono told reporters at the opening ceremony. The drills come amidst rising tension with China after Beijing released a map in August with a "10-dash line" showing what appeared to be an expansion of the area it considers its territory in the South China Sea. Several ASEAN members rejected the map.

World leaders adopt political declaration to accelerate actions to achieve SDGs World leaders on September 18, met for the opening day of the 2023 SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Summit at the United Nations. The World leaders adopted a political declaration to accelerate action to achieve the 17 goals, which aim to drive economic prosperity and well-being for all people while protecting the environment. António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations said, "The SDGs aren’t just a list of goals. They carry the hopes, dreams, rights and expectations of people everywhere.” In his opening remarks, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, called for ending hunger, switching to renewable energy, spreading digitization and education, and full gender equality rights. The Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Alexei Overchuk, was also one of many dignitaries to speak at the Summit. Overchuk commented on the role of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in helping member states achieve certain sustainable development goals. "The main objective is to improve the well-being of the citizens of its member states," he said. "To this end, work is underway to form common markets of the EAEU in certain areas of cooperation without exceptions or restrictions.” Meanwhile, France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, commented in her speech to delegates on factors that have undermined progress towards the sustainable development goals. “The fragile progress made has been undermined by wars such as the war of aggression launched by Russia and Ukraine, by pandemics, climate change... and therefore vulnerable people, particularly women and girls, are systematically paying the highest price," she said. Colonna said France was one of the highest donors of ODA (official development assistance) in 2022 and praised the Paris Pact for People and the Planet for launching new momentum towards an environmental transition. She concluded by calling for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games to contribute to "progressing the SDGs." On the other hand, sixty state representatives met to discuss “Renewed Effort for Middle East Peace on the opening day of the summit. The meeting was co-organized with the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Secretary General of the Arab League. In order to reinvigorate this process and in order not to finish a meeting and forget about it. We have launched three senior-level working groups that will be completely collaborating on bilateral, regional and global approaches. They will start in one month from now in Brussels,” said European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Fontelles. Focus of the Summit The 2023 SDG Summit is aiming to begin a new phase of accelerated progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals with high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to 2030. It also marks the half-way point to the deadline set for achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. World leaders adopted the SDGs in 2015, promising to leave no one behind. The goals include ending extreme poverty and hunger, ensuring access to clean water and sanitation, as well as green energy, and providing quality universal education and lifelong learning opportunities. UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis noted that despite commitments, 1.2 billion people were still living in poverty as of 2022, and roughly eight per cent of the global population, or 680 million people, will still be facing hunger by the end of the decade. Each of the 17 goals contains targets, with 169 overall, however, currently only 15 per cent are on track, while many are going in reverse. In such a scenario, the political declaration "can be a game-changer in accelerating SDG progress".

France calls for 2024 Paris Olympic Games to advance SDG goals World leaders met for the opening day of the 2023 SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Summit on September 18 at the United Nations. France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, commented in her speech to delegates on factors that have undermined progress towards the sustainable development goals. “The fragile progress made has been undermined by wars such as the war of aggression launched by Russia and Ukraine, by pandemics, climate change... and therefore vulnerable people, particularly women and girls, are systematically paying the highest price," she said. Colonna said France was one of the highest donors of ODA (official development assistance) in 2022 and praised the Paris Pact for People and the Planet for launching new momentum towards an environmental transition. She concluded by calling for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games to contribute to "progressing the SDGs."

33% reservation for women in parliament & state assemblies cleared by union cabinet In a significant development, India's Union Cabinet has cleared the Women's Reservation Bill, which aims to reserve 33% of seats in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament) and state legislative assemblies for women. The government has officially confirmed this decision, sources suggest that the proposed reservation could become a reality by 2029, coinciding with the delimitation exercise based on the decennial census expected to begin in 2026. The Women's Reservation Bill seeks to address the gender imbalance in Indian politics by reserving one-third of seats for women in both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Notably, one-third of the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will also be allocated to women from these groups. To ensure fair representation, these reserved seats may be rotated among different constituencies within the state or union territory. The last significant development on this issue occurred in 2010 when the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Parliament) passed the bill, despite opposition from some MPs. Unfortunately, the bill could not make it through the Lok Sabha at that time and lapsed. Currently, the representation of women in the Lok Sabha is less than 15% of the total strength of 543 members. Similarly, in the Rajya Sabha, women's representation stands at approximately 14%, as of data shared by the government in December 2022. Several state assemblies across India also suffer from a lack of gender diversity in politics. States like Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, and Puducherry have less than 10% women representation in their legislative assemblies. Some states, such as Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, have slightly higher representation, ranging from 10% to 12%. In contrast, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Jharkhand lead the way with 14.44%, 13.7%, and 12.35% women MLAs (Members of Legislative Assembly), respectively. Prime Minister Modi had earlier hinted at "historic decisions" being made during this special session of Parliament. He emphasized the growing contribution of women parliamentarians over the years, noting that out of over 7,500 public representatives who have served in both houses, approximately 600 have been women. The proposed legislation, known as the Constitution (One Hundred and Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2008, not only reserves seats for women but also specifies that the allocation of these reserved seats will be determined by the authority prescribed by Parliament. Additionally, it outlines that one-third of the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes shall be reserved for women of those groups. However, these reservations are set to cease to exist 15 years after the commencement of this Amendment Act. The move to enact the Women's Reservation Bill reflects a significant step toward achieving gender equality in Indian politics and ensuring that women have a stronger voice in shaping the nation's future.

Peru declares state of emergency in parts of capital after crime spike Peruvian President Dina Boluarte said on September 18 her government has declared a state of emergency in three districts hit by a spike in crime, a measure that allows the military to help enforce security. The emergency status was declared in the districts of San Juan de Lurigancho and San Martin de Porras, both in the capital Lima, and in the northern district of Talara, Boluarte said in a statement, adding in an interview that the measure aimed to raise a "frontal fight against crime and organized crime." In recent days, police reported attacks in San Juan including the throwing of a war grenade into a nightclub, which with another nearby grenade attack left at least 15 injured. Crime reports to police in Lima rose to nearly 160,200 last year, compared to 120,350 in 2021, according to the country's ombudsman office.

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