Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said the historic Women’s Reservation Bill, which the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Indian Parliament, passed on March 9 was “a historic step forward” in the emancipation of Indian women.
“This is a momentous development in the long journey of empowering our women,” he said about the Bill that reserves a third of all seats in Parliament and State Assemblies for women.
“The Bill is a historic step forward, a giant step forward in strengthening the process of emancipation (of women),” the Prime Minister said.
Dr. Singh said that despite the progress achieved by women in India, “we have also to recognise that our women have faced enormous difficulties.”
“Our women face discrimination at home, there is domestic violence, they face discrimination in terms of unequal access to education and healthcare. All these things have to end if India is to realise its full potential.”
The Prime Minister added: “What the Bill represents is a small token of homage to the sacrifices our women have made in nation building, in the freedom struggle, and in all other nation-building activities.”
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi said that the “larger picture” of women’s empowerment was of paramount interest. She said she was grateful to all the political parties who had helped the Bill to be passed.
Mrs. Gandhi said she watched the Parliament proceedings from her home and felt happy that the Bill was passed after a lively discussion.
“I am happy and relieved,” she said and added the issue had been very close to her heart, especially since it was in keeping with vision of her husband, former Prime Minister of India, the Late Rajiv Gandhi.
“The first step has been taken. As a natural corollary, the next step will also be taken,” she said in reference to the Bill’s passage in the Lok Sabha.
Regarding the opposition from some political quarters, Mrs. Gandhi said that she was aware of the political risks involved but the issue of empowerment of women in the country was more important and was worth taking the risk.
“It is a huge risk but we have taken risks before. Whenever something is revolutionary, there is opposition, there are difficulties. But the larger picture (of women’s reservation) is more important.”
Mrs. Gandhi said that she was not disappointed that the Bill did not go through in the Rajya Sabha on March 8, the International Women’s Day. “I knew it was a difficult legislation, (that) problems may come up, one wasn’t really sure,” she said.
The Congress president also gave credit to UPA allies for backing the pioneering Bill fully right from the beginning. “Our party is committed. If we were not committed, we would not have taken the first step,” she concluded.
becoming prime minister. Accompanying him was a delegation of other government ministers, defense contractors and chemical industry executives.The Russian Prime Minister arrived in New Delhi in March 11. The Prime Minister was working to strengthen Russia’s position in the competition for military hardware and nuclear energy contracts in the lucrative Indian market.
between the two countries. Russia sees its main competition in the field of nuclear energy coming from French and American firms.
Census officials visited the Race Course residence of the PM in the morning and collected particulars of Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur. 
Minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chauhan, Union home secretary G K Pillai and registrar general and census commissioner C Chandramouli were present at the PM's residence at the time of the enumeration.