Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra on Saturday lamented the lack of representation of women in Parliament but at the same time, pointed to the surge in the number of women coming out to vote in recent years. Addressing an event where 'Sansad Ratna Awards 2022' were presented to Parliamentarians, Chandra said the first Lok Sabha had 15 women MPs and the 17th Lok Sabha has 78.
The Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Award for Lifetime Achievement was presented to Dr M. Veerappa Moily (Congress) and Dr H.V. Hande (BJP). The Excellence Awards - Lok Sabha Committee were given for Agriculture (Chairman: P.C. Gaddi Goudar, BJP, Karnataka); for Finance (Chairman: Dr Jayant Sinha, BJP, Jharkhand); for Labour (Chairman: Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, BJD, Odisha) while the same for Excellence Award - Rajya Sabha Committee were given for Education (Chairman: Dr Vinay P. Sahasrabuddhe, BJP, Maharashtra).
Chandra also expressed concern over the time lost due to disruptions in Parliament, saying this does not augur well for democracy. "But the progress is still slow.... True, Parliament has to be very very inclusive," he said. The CEC pointed out that in local bodies, the Constitution guarantees a one-third reservation for women and noted that many grassroots-level women leaders have demonstrated their leadership qualities and brought about visible changes in their communities.
Stressing the need to maintain a connect between the lawmakers and people, he recalled voters telling him that after the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a ban on physical campaigning, some leaders came to their doorstep after a long gap.
On the issue of disruptions in parliamentary proceedings, Chandra said while heated arguments, debates and speeches are a barometer of a robust Parliament, frequent disruptions, walkouts and hunger strikes are not.
He further said that the history and destiny of a nation is determined by 3 Ps -- principles, people and Parliament. "The principles and core values were set out very clearly in the Constitution of India.
Being a representative democracy, it is the will of her people, which is sovereign and most powerful. The Parliament is the repository of the Trust of people and an expression of this sovereign will," he said.
As per the Sansad Ratna Award, the Lok Sabha - Excellence Award General - Overall tally was presented to Bidyut Baran Mahato (BJP, Jharkhand); the Lok Sabha - Excellence Award - First time MP - was presented to Kuldeep Rai Sharma (INC, Andaman Nicobar Islands); Lok Sabha - Excellence Award - Women MP - overall tally was presented to Heena Vijayakumar Gavit (BJP, Maharashtra); the Lok Sabha - Topper in Initiated Debates was presented to Saugata Roy (AITMC, West Bengal); the award for Lok Sabha - Topper in Questions was Sudhir Gupta (BJP, Madhya Pradesh), Rajya Sabha - Excellence Award -Sitting MPs - General - was presented to Amar Patnaik (BJD, Odisha), the Rajya Sabha - Excellence Award - Sitting MPs - Women MP - Total tally was presented to Fauzia Tahseen Ahmed Khan (NCP, Maharashtra) and the Rajya Sabha - Excellence Award -Retired MPs was presented to K.K. Ragesh (CPI-M, Kerala).
The awards for Super performers - sustained performance (Sansad Vishisht Ratna) N.K. Premachandran (RSP, Kerala) and Shrirang Appa Barne (Shiv Sena, Maharashtra).