Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Rahul Gandhi urges India prime minister Modi to pass women's bill

India's opposition leader on Monday (16) urged prime minister Narendra Modi to "walk his talk" by passing a long-pending bill that aims to give women a stronger voice in parliament.

Rahul Gandhi offered his party's "unconditional support" to push through the Women's Reservation Bill, which provides for one-third of the seats in national and state assemblies to be reserved for female candidates.


"Our PM says he's a crusader for women's empowerment? Time for him to rise above party politics, walk-his-talk & have the Women's Reservation Bill passed by parliament. The Congress offers him its unconditional support," Gandhi tweeted.

The bill was passed by the upper house in 2010, but has since been sidelined after vehement resistance from some male lawmakers.

Women hold only 12 per cent of seats in both the lower and upper houses of parliament in the world's largest democracy, compared to the global average of 23 per cent, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Gandhi asked Modi in a letter attached to his tweet to take advantage of his party's majority in parliament to "send India a message that we believe the time for change has come".

"Women must take their rightful place in our state legislatures and in parliament, where they are at present abysmally represented," he said.

The BJP on Monday refused to say whether it would clear the bill in the next parliament session which begins on Wednesday.

Prakash Javadekar, a minister and BJP spokesman, said Congress counted opponents of the bill among its allies. "They have to first sort out this issue," he told reporters.

The country already reserves at least a third of village council seats for women, and this has given over one million women a say in how their communities are developed.

But campaigners say a stronger voice for women at the top of government is also needed to bring in policies and laws that would help ordinary women fight abuse, discrimination and inequality.

The challenge came amid renewed debate about women's safety in India after experts surveyed by the Thomson Reuters Foundation ranked it the most dangerous country in the world for women.

India's tourism ministry has now launched a campaign throughout its government's overseas offices to highlight that women are safe in India.

There is no reason to stop the passage of the legislation when Modi's government has more than 300 of the 545 seats in parliament, said Kavita Krishnan, an activist with the All India Progressive Women's Association.

"This government has no excuse to not pass this bill. I think it is really overdue," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"At least put it to vote and let the whole country know who is voting for it and who is not."

More For You

 Post Office Horizon

A Post Office van parked outside the venue for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry at Aldwych House on January 11, 2024 in London.

Getty Images

Post Office scandal linked to 13 suicides, says inquiry

Highlights:

 
     
  • Public inquiry finds up to 13 suicides linked to wrongful Post Office prosecutions.
  •  
  • Horizon IT system faults led to false accusations, financial ruin, and imprisonment.
  •  
  • Sir Wyn Williams says Post Office maintained a “fiction” of accurate data despite known faults.

A PUBLIC inquiry has found that up to 13 people may have taken their own lives after being wrongly accused of financial misconduct by the Post Office, in what is now described as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK ramps up drought response following driest spring

The EA has begun conducting more compliance checks on high-usage industries

Getty Images

UK ramps up drought response following driest spring since 1893

Key points

  • Spring 2025 was England’s driest and warmest in over 130 years
  • Reservoirs across England only 77% full, compared to 93% average
  • Environment Agency increases monitoring and drought planning
  • North-west England officially declared in drought

Water conservation measures stepped up ahead of summer

The UK government has increased efforts to manage water resources after confirming that England experienced its driest and warmest spring since 1893. The Environment Agency (EA) reported that reservoirs were on average only 77% full, significantly lower than the usual 93% for this time of year.

The announcement came after a National Drought Group meeting on Thursday, which reviewed the impact of continued dry weather on crops, canal navigation, and river flows. Poor grass growth and dry soil conditions were noted as threats to food production and livestock feed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Norman Tebbit

Following Thatcher’s third general election victory in 1987, Tebbit stepped back from frontline politics to care for his wife. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Former minister, Thatcher ally Norman Tebbit dies at 94

Norman Tebbit, a close ally of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and a former Conservative Party cabinet minister, has died at the age of 94. His son William confirmed the news on Tuesday.

"At 11:15 pm on 7th July, 2025, Lord Tebbit died peacefully at home aged 94," William Tebbit said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
Southport

Floral tributes left by members of the public are seen following the fatal knife attack on three young girls in July in Southport.

Reuters

Public inquiry begins into Southport girls' murders

A PUBLIC inquiry begins on Tuesday into the murders of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport last year.

The inquiry will examine whether the attack could have been prevented and how future incidents might be avoided.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer-Getty

Starmer is facing a Labour backbench revolt over plans to reform special needs support in schools without guaranteeing existing legal rights. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images)

Starmer faces Labour pushback over SEND reform plans

KEIR STARMER is facing a backlash from Labour MPs over plans to reform special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support, after ministers stopped short of guaranteeing legal rights for parents.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the government was committed to reforming the current system, which costs £12 billion a year. However, she did not confirm if legally enforceable rights, such as those provided by education, health and care plans (EHCPs), would remain.

Keep ReadingShow less