A Akhter / AMN
New Delhi: At least 300 women legislators from all over the country will congregate for a two-day conference at Vigyan Bhavan on Saturday with a bid to hone their skills further so as to contribute their might in the socio-economic progress of the country.
President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate this women legislators conference for building resurgent India, while the vice president Mohammad Hamid Ansari and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will also address them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also who will also be present at the inauguration will however address the valedictory session in the Central Hall of the Parliament House at 12 pm on Sunday the 6th March.
The Conference, which is being organized at the initiative of Lok Sabha Speaker Mrs. Sumitra Mahajan, will provide women legislators from across the country the first ever platform to interact and learn from their counterparts from all parts of the country and with women Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, MPs and eminent women from the judiciary and the bureaucracy. The Conference will comprise of a plenary session and the following three Sessions: (i)Contributing to Social Development; (ii) Contributing to Economic Development; and (iii) ‘Contributing to Better Governance and Legislation. The Conference is likely to be attended by more than 300 women MLAs, MLCs, MPs, Union Ministers and Chief Ministers.
The interactions and guidance from seniors and experts are intended to hone the skills and abilities of the legislators to perform their legislative and non-legislative leadership roles with a sharper focus and greater effectiveness.
The conference will equip the women legislators from across India with latest knowledge in relevant areas and provide them with the right perspective, motivation and guidance in their twin roles – as legislators and as powerful agents of socio – economic progress and change as well of good governance. It will update them about current national and international issues that are relevant to their field of work as legislators. The proceedings of the conference are expected to significantly enhance their effectiveness, which, in turn, will contribute to nation-building and overall development for a resurgent and inclusive India.
The former President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil will also address during the valedictory session.
The Speaker of Bangladesh, Dr. Shirin Chaudhury will be present at the inaugural session. While Ms. Chaudhury will be the Chairperson of the plenary session, Smt. Poonam Mahajan, MP will moderate it. Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, MP, Union Minister of Minority Affairs Dr. Najma Heptullah and Union Minister of External Affairs Smt. Sushma Swaraj will address the session.
Meira Kumar, former Lok Sabha Speaker will chair the first session on ‘Contributing to Social Development’. While Smt. Supriya Sule, MP will moderate, Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Gandhi, and Union Minister of Human Resource Development Smt. Samriti Irani will be the panelists.
The Chief Minister of Gujarat, Anandiben Patel will chair the second session, i.e ‘Contributing to Economic Development’. While Mrs Kavita K, MP will moderate, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Mrs. Harsimarat Kaur Badal and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Commerce and Industry Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman, will be the panelists for this session.
Former Chief Minister of Delhi Mrs. Shiela Dikshit will chair the third session on ‘Contributing to Better Governance and Legislation’. Km. Sushmita Dev, MP will moderate and Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Sushree Uma Bharati; former Supreme Court judge Mrs. Ranjana Desai and former Chief Secretary of Delhi Mrs. Shailja Chandra, will be the panelists.
The second day proceedings of the Conference will be held in the historic Central Hall of Parliament House on 6 March 2016.