1. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin introduced two Bills in the Assembly to increase representation of persons with disabilities in local bodies through nominations across the state.
2. The first Bill aims to nominate persons with disabilities to town panchayats, municipal councils and municipal corporations through amendments to the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act.
3. The second Bill proposes to amend the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act to nominate one person with disabilities to all village panchayats, panchayat union councils and district panchayats.
4. Post implementation, the Bills will ensure positions for 650 persons with disabilities in urban local bodies, 12,913 in village panchayats, 388 in panchayat unions, and 37 in district panchayats, compared to the current 35 persons with disabilities in urban local bodies.
5. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments mandated one-third reservation for women in panchayati raj institutions and urban local bodies, which Tamil Nadu later increased to 50%.
6. The Women's Reservation Act passed in 2023 provides 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, to be implemented after the publication of the Census following the Act's commencement.
7. Tamil Nadu's initiative marks the first such effort in India to elevate persons with disabilities from marginalization to leadership positions in local governance.
8. Drawing from past experiences with women's reservation in panchayati raj, where husbands often became de facto decision-makers, the government must ensure the benefits reach the intended beneficiaries - persons with disabilities.
Go To Article
Link for PYQs