New Delhi/Tashkent Apr 6 (UNI) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday highlighted the inclusive and welfarist nature of the Indian Constitution, stating that it treats all citizens equally, providing them with equal opportunities, and integrating the marginalised and backward sections of society into the mainstream of progress.
Delivering the keynote address on "Parliamentary Action for Social Development and Justice” at the historic 150th Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) at Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Birla said, “In recent years, the Indian Parliament has passed several legislations that promote social justice and security and encourage the inclusion of all sections of society,” the Lok Sabha Secretariat said.
Referring to Parliament's perennial concern for safeguarding the interests of the vulnerable segments of society, he added that “Bills like the 'Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act-2016', the 'Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019', and the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam-2023' safeguard the interests of all sections of society.”
Stressing that the Indian Parliament has taken several measures prioritising justice and the rule of law, Birla mentioned that “By replacing the 'Indian Penal Code' with the 'Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita', India has established the primacy of justice”.
Referring to the functioning of Parliamentary Committees in achieving the goals of development and social justice, Birla noted that the various Parliamentary Committees, often referred to as Mini Parliaments, perform a complimentary function to the efforts of Parliament and the government.
He highlighted that the Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment; Committee on Women Empowerment; Committee on Labour and Skill Development, and other diverse panels monitor welfare programmes leading to the implementation of schemes with effectiveness and accountability.
Birla stressed that the Government of India works with a mission to achieve targets set for key human development indicators.
Praising the strong and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Birla said “Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, India has achieved the distinction of being the world's fastest-growing major economy with a 105% GDP growth over the past decade and is rapidly progressing towards its goal of Viksit Bharat in 2047.”
Noting that India is the fifth-largest economy in the world and is on its way toward becoming the third-largest, Birla said the country is playing a leading role in the world in fields like Innovation, AI, Startups, Space and Defense Technology, IT, Fintech, Pharma, and others.
He hoped that the discussions at the IPU Assembly would provide all delegations with new perspectives and will allow Parliaments around the world to be able to take concrete steps toward building a just, inclusive, and prosperous society.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the 150th IPU Summit, Birla met Tran Thanh Man, President, the National Assembly of Vietnam.
Speaking on the occasion, Birla emphasised the close cultural and historical ties between the two countries, which have strengthened through high-level discussions in recent years. Shri Birla expressed satisfaction that both countries are progressing toward sustainable development, driven by their respective visions for 2047 (India) and 2045 (Vietnam).
Birla emphasised that cooperation in various sectors such as defence, technology, infrastructure, and nuclear energy has helped shape their future frameworks. UNI RBE SSP