Benefits of Nuclear Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Benefits of Nuclear Energy - Essay Example This essay stresses that generation of nuclear power forms effective utilization of nuclear energy is the most environment friendly process. Nuclear is a clean form of energy that affects the environment the least as compared with all other energy resources. The nuclear power generation plants do not emit any harmful gases (Agency, 2007). Experts regard this form of energy as one of the free of emissions energy. The waste management of nuclear energy processes is also very effective and the water or other drainage is free from pollution and satisfies the health and safety standards. This paper makes a conclusion that one major drawback of establishing a nuclear power plant is the fact that the setting of nuclear plants requires huge investments and costs. This is the main reason why the nuclear plants are usually difficult to set up. The installation cost of nuclear power plants is far greater than to those of plants of other energy sources. Moreover, it is not only the installation cost of the power plant but also the huge costs involved in providing safeguard to humankind from processes that are most likely to induce harmful effects on human beings. In addition to that, installation of these plants in remote areas makes it uncomfortable to transmit energy to distant highly populated areas. There is always a probability of people getting affected by these harmful radiations and radioactive wastes.

This research can focus on any historical topic related to the Essay

This research can focus on any historical topic related to the course.that is, on any topic covered in class or in your dossie - Essay Example In addition, irrespective of certain female stars’ legendary statuses, gender roles have been firmly reinforced by the roles these women, who are judged on their appearances, have played (Dawson 1995, p.71). This research paper provides a detailed analysis of how Hollywood portrayed women in film, focusing particularly on the 1930s, using Gold diggers of 1933 as a framework. Four themes will be discussed in the paper: the representation of women in early 1930s film, the portrayal of women, and the real-life role of women and criticism of women’s role in 1930s films. The 1930s is infamous as the era of the Great Depression and, therefore; it provides an interesting backdrop to research how women were portrayed as a result of the globally changing morals and cynicism. Representation of Women in 1930s Film Kaplan (1994, p.3) states that Hollywood cinematography in many instances objectified women for the pleasure of men. Mulvey (1989, p.56), argues that the role women play ed is worth looking at but not worth giving a listening ear. As these scholars indicate, during this era men viewed women in limited dimensions, referred to as the Madonna (housewives) or whore complex. To many, women were objects of sexual fulfilment, hence sexually active whores, or simply pristine and powerless Madonnas. Arguably, it is for this reason that Gates (2011, p.23) argues that the manner in which images of women are presented in Hollywood film aims solely at gratifying male viewers. As evident in Gold diggers of 1933, the role of women as sex objects in films is displayed freely and fully. Ginger Rogers, Joan Blondell and Ruby Keeler play the major roles and appear as stereotypical bombshells, slender and beautiful, in many of their appearances where they are dressed in skimpy costumes. Another example of how the characters are presented as sex objects is the presentation of Rogers and Blondell as platinum blonde. Aline MacMahon is the only female character not part of this characterisation. She serves as the sole voice of cynicism and the hard-boiled attitude that prevailed from the start of the 1930s as a result of the Depression. Further, she appears to have a superior intellect as compared to the other female characters. Aside for MacMahon, all female characters in the movie represent the characterisation of Madonna/ whore. For instance, they appear independent, and Lawrence Bradford views their morals from a negative perspective. As the embodiment of the 1930s elite, Bradford indicates the elite opinion on the female role during this era. Interestingly, as the film ends, all the women become Madonnas, since they are no longer showgirls filled with loose morals, but wives. Trixie marries Lawrence’s lawyer, Carol marries Lawrence and Polly marries Brad, therefore, it is arguable that their transformation from whores to Madonnas is thus complete. In short, women’s roles in the 1930s were often stereotypical, with women portrayed i n a sexualised manner for the benefit of men. The way women were shown to choose

Effective Strategies for a Student Success Essay

Effective Strategies for a Student Success - Essay Example This paper tends to discuss some very important steps and strategies that will help every student to show success by leaps and bounds. All that is needed is the determination and strong-mindedness to follow these steps. Determination and Commitment The first and foremost thing that a student needs is determination to succeed, and commitment with his work. If he has made up his mind to achieve his goals and milestones, and that he will do anything to reach his destination, then there is no power that can stop him from getting what he wants. This commitment will motivate him, and will boost his energies in the positive direction, so much so that he will start finding himself not too far away from his educational objectives. Time Management The next important strategy for a student is to manage his time properly, so that he can balance his work and extra-curricular activities in the most effectual manner. Students must set priorities in their lives, and must be determined enough to give their schoolwork the top priority. Time management will help them meet deadlines that their instructors have set for them regarding their assignments. Students must finish their assignments well in time, because this will make their image better in the eyes of their professors, which is a good thing toward their success. Students must also set regular routines for their sleeping and waking patterns, and must be able to follow their time tables. Again, all this comes with determination and commitment with work. Time management is the key to success in academic life (Hirsch, 2001, p.99). Improving Interpersonal Skills One important strategy is to be at good terms not only with the peers, but also with the instructors. Good communication is the key to success. A student must be able to share his ideas and problems with his class fellows and with the teachers, without hesitation. This way, he will be able to do his work more effectively. This will also help him gain knowledge through e xchange of thoughts. Good communication skills also help the student when he has to express his ideas, both verbally and in writing. A tip is that students may join communication improvement classes, which are held at some training institutes. This will help them not only in their educational phase, but also later in their professional careers. Developing Reading Habit It is a tragedy that today’s students have left the habit of reading books. Libraries are empty, because students find it easier to consult computers and the internet for every type of knowledge. A book is a man’s best friend, because it makes him learn such things that he cannot grasp from the internet. It is very important for a student to develop reading habit, because it is the most effective way of improving vocabulary and diction. Reading will help them become â€Å"strong, life-long readers† (Collins, 2004, p.50). Developing Critical Thinking Skills It is important for the students to devel op strong critical thinking skills. Only memorizing the concepts, words for word, does not guarantee success. The key to success is to think about issues critically; that is, to critically examine the evidence, facts, statistics, and to develop reasoning for arguments. Students must know how to develop arguments, and how to defend their position with sound proofs. They must be able to make judgments, and argue about what they feel objectionable.

INTRODUCTION TO NEGOTIATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

INTRODUCTION TO NEGOTIATION - Essay Example Individuals and groups use it to resolve conflicts that cannot find unilateral solution (Rana, 2009). Bilateral negotiation has the objective of ensuring there is a solution to issues that cannot get unilateral solutions. Bilateral negotiation ranks top in conflict resolution because it employs numerous tactics. Such tactics easily influence the hard-liner party to ease its position. The tactics employed by negotiator easily directs parties involved into an area of possible solution to the issue discussed (Rana, 2009). Consequently, parties making extreme offers find an atmosphere for falling back easily from their hard bargains. Bilateral negotiation offers time for preparation. Although people underrate this time, it remains a fundamental stage of the conflict resolution process. The preparation time has merit because upon finding a resolution, implementation follows instantly since at that time all parties involved are available (Ertel & Gordon, 2008). Preparation time gives those involved time to break down their direct and indirect strengths, aims and limits, argument, style and tactics and hidden agenda. The stage also provides parties involved an opportunity to examine their perceptions among other cross-cultural issues involved in the conflict. Preparation time in bilateral conflict enables businesses to gather relevant internal information for the task of conflict resolution. Consequently, each gathers all the facts, alternatives and other necessary options (Rana, 2009). In addition, this stage that ensures institution of negotiation team, with identification of its leader. Such procedures provide for direction to the negotiating team. Another stage that gives bilateral negotiation credit is the pre-negotiation stage. The stage, negotiators, and the teams involved find an opportunity to clear up conflicting interests. Moreover, negotiating team makes an establishment on whether there is a possibility and

Analyzing Personal Conflict Management Styles Essay Example for Free

Analyzing Personal Conflict Management Styles Essay Conflict management is the detriment of many teams or groups in accomplishing its goals. This is because most people do not understand the different conflict styles and how to apply the rules and principles associated with the style you may be dealing with. In this paper I will analyze three of the five management styles discussed in the textbook Communication in Small Groups. Avoidance and competition are two styles that I believe have the greatest effect on hindering a group or team from accomplishing its goals. Collaboration, however, is a style that I believe is most effective in assisting a team in attaining its goals. This is a style that I use not only in my professional life but also in my personal life and have seen the difference this style of conflict management makes on individuals who are approached with this technique. Avoidance, according to the Collins English Dictionary is â€Å"the act of keeping away from or preventing from happening. † This definition sums up the reason I believe that of the five conflict managing styles, this one is among the top reasons some teams fail at achieving their goals. Whether it is just that a person does not like confrontation, are afraid to voice his or her true opinions out of fear, or simply do not want to hurt another person’s feelings, the simple fact remains that the team may not be aware of everything they need to consider. They miss the opportunity to be more objective in reaching an educated decision on the goals the team is trying to attain. This can also lead to members of the team feeling as though a member does not care and give them reason to discount whatever input that member may have. It is important to remember that there are certain instances when avoidance is needed to move the team along. For instance if what is causing the conflict is something trivial that will not have an adverse effect on the ultimate goal of the team it is likely a good idea to avoid it. It may be also be a good idea to use this method temporarily to give a team time to gather their thoughts on an important issue they need to resolve, but cannot get certain members to be objective or reasonable because they are standing firm behind their point of view. Competition is a conflict management style exactly opposite of avoidance. This is a very confrontational style, which characteristics consist of forcefully persuading others that their position is the only correct position. A person who exerts this style in most cases seeks to win with the intent of another person losing. They want control and work to achieve it no matter what. This type of style is infectious to a team. It is hard for a team to work at attaining a common goal if the level of competition in the team is such that no one can agree. Competition often leads to unethical ways of trying to persuade others in the team like shouting, or even threatening. These types of behaviors lead to defensiveness and distrust as members may feel as if they are forced into a decision rather than arriving at a decision on their own. Again, just like with all management styles it is not always a bad thing to be competitive. When working as a team it is important to remember the goals of the team and be mindful that the actions taken are working toward that goal. No matter how right a person is individually, he or she must find a way to get the rest of the team to agree that their point of view is correct or the best action for the goal the team is trying to accomplish. Otherwise, they will accomplish nothing and alienate themself from the team. The other members of the team can again feel as if that member does not care about what is best for the team and discount his or her ideas as one sided. Of all of the conflict management styles, collaboration is the style that most researchers agree is the best for achieving the goals of a team. â€Å"To collaborate is to have a high concern for both yourself and others† (Beebe Masterson, 2009, p. 52). This common belief among users of this style drives them to search for answers using all of the tools at the team’s disposal. The different dynamics of the team become assets. They see the differences that distinguish the members of the team as points of view are respected and viewed objectively. Differences like a male versus a female’s perspective, race, culture, and even social or economic status are viewpoints that give all in the team a bigger picture of the different issues they may need to consider when coming to a conclusion about how best to achieve their goal. Though this style is thought of as the best route for teams to use, it is lso one of the most difficult. Even a person who has a natural talent or personality that promotes this style of conflict management has to practice to be effective using this style in a team setting. A person cannot be judgmental and must be sure not to take anything said personally. This is something that most if not all of the team members must have an awareness of. All team members have to feel comfortable with the results and with what was given up from their own personal point of view to arrive at the team’s decision. This style is also very demanding so it requires a good amount of patience. Depending on how quick a decision is needed it is not always possible for a team to achieve and some in the team may not believe that their best interests were achieved. I realized through this research that I am a person who naturally uses the collaboration style of conflict management in many areas of my life. In my relationship with my wife, I use collaboration as a way to strengthen our alliance in running our household. Feeling as if we are a team benefits the decisions we make for our family. Our children see us as united in our decision making. This is something we had to work to achieve and collaboration was the key to its success. We had a competitive style at first and our children would use that fact to split us up on decisions that we made pertaining to them. I could break that cycle by focusing on putting our ego’s aside. Our discussions were no longer about who was right or wrong. It was a process that started with accommodation to show I was willing to take the first step. That eventually grew into compromise, which is what most couples strive for. Finding a middle ground gives most couples the sense that they are working as a team. Collaboration, however, is the ability of that team not to find a middle ground, but actively work to agree and the best plan or action together by understanding and processing each other’s viewpoint to come up with decisions together. It is a style that comes in handy when training my children on the importance of being responsible and accountable for their actions. Collaborating on goals so that they are part of the decision-making process empowers them to believe they have control over what decisions they make. In my school and professional life collaboration has proven to be a way to drive for results. Team members work better when they are at ease in their decision-making, and everyone is comfortable with each other. Disagreements work themselves out with little stress because of the trust established through everyone’s willingness to collaborate on the goals set in place. Because the goals were set together, everyone has a vested interest in its outcome and most want that outcome to be a successful one. When I do encounter a person on my team with a conflicting style, I tend to take some time away from the situation to evaluate the best course of action for our progress. I take into account the level of importance our issue may have on our ultimate goal and what if any ethical issues are involved. Collaboration, though it is my favorite approach, is not always the approach I may use to resolve the issue. I am not one to avoid the issue entirely, but I have had to use accommodation, compromise, and even competition depending on what the issue is and what personality I am dealing with. In conclusion, you can see that there is no one way to manage conflict. I believe that being able to adapt to the different conflict styles will assist a person in overcoming conflict. Collaboration best supports a person who is adaptable and best supports a team’s objective because it focuses on the goals of the team by giving each person on the team’s needs equal importance.

Deportation Law Problem Question Case Study

Deportation Law Problem Question Case Study Yes, if Mr. Adams accepts the offer and is faced with deportation, his likelihood of success on an ineffectiveness claim would depend on how easily the average criminal defense attorney could have determined that the crime to which he pled was a deportable offense. This scenario does not state what Mr. Adams is pleading guilty to. Under the immigration statute U.SC 1227(a)(2)(B)(i), states that any alien is deportable for anything related to a controlled substance unless it is for a person’s own use of thirty grams or less of marijuana. Mr. Adams declared that he wanted to understand the immigration consequences in order to decide whether to accept the plea. However, his attorney rejected to explain the immigration consequences himself and directed him over to an immigration clinic located in a law school where a student advises him that his crime has no deportation consequences. The reason that Mr. Adams would have success on an ineffectiveness claim due to how easily the average criminal defense attorney could have determined if the crime was deportable is because of the ruling in Padilla v. Kentucky. Padilla’s counsel gave the wrong advice about deportation which caused Padilla’s plea to automatically deport him. It was determined in the this case that Padilla’s attorney could have very easily confirmed that Padilla’s plea would automatically make him eligible for deportation by merely scanning the immigration statute on controlled substances. Likewise, in this particular case with Mr. Adams, his attorney could have simply read the same immigration statute and told Mr. Adams that his plea would automatically trigger deportation. The court in Padilla did acknowledge that immigration law is a very complex law and attorneys that are not well versed in it would perhaps not understand. However, they determined that when a law is succ inct and straightforward, the responsibility and obligation to give correct advice is clear and when the law is not clear or succinct the attorney, at the bare minimum, tell their client they may face deportation consequences. As a result, Mr. Adams has a good chance of success on an ineffectiveness claim against his attorney. The attorney could have easily read the immigration statute and told Mr. Adams that his plea would trigger deportation and Mr. Adams would have chosen another option rather than accepting the plea. Even if the law was not succinct or straightforward, the attorney still had the obligation to let Mr. Adams know that there were deportation consequences. Yes, along with question number one, Mr. Adams is guaranteed to succeed on his ineffectiveness claim. Strickland v. Washington, (466 U.S. 668, 1984) states that defendants are permitted to having the effective assistance of competent counsel. The Strickland case posed that to prove ineffectiveness of counsel the defendant must show that 1) performance of counsel was objectively unreasonable and 2) prejudice in the sense that counsels’ errors were serious enough that the defendant would not have pled guilty if given correct advice. The fact that in question one, Mr. Adams attorney could have clearly read the immigration statute and gave his client a clear answer clearly shows that the performance was objectively unreasonable. Secondly, the fact that Mr. Adams’ attorney could have conducted a brief web search of the immigration clinic and saw numerous complaints about the legal advice also shows his performance as counsel was unreasonable. When you put these two together, the counsels’ errors were serious enough that Mr. Adams would have never accepted the plea if he knew he would automatically be deported if he accepted it. Justice Rehnquist’s majority opinion rejected to extend its holding in Douglas. It was held that having a counsel appointed to a defendant is only mandatory on an appeal that is granted as of right, without needing consent of the appellate court. The court furthermore characterized the situation of a defendant at the trial and appellate stages of a proceeding. Counsel is only required when it is a matter of due process and it is the attorney for the state who is prosecuting a case. However, on appeal, the defendant is the one who is initiating the process of requesting review. The court additionally reminded that appeals are not required by due process. Furthermore, the court also affirms that there really is no need for appointed counsel during a discretionary appeal. The court explains by showing that on discretionary appeals, an indigent defendant has already had the help of a lawyer in organizing and preparing briefings during the first level of appeal. Therefore, the court says that those briefs are going to be used during the discretionary review. Secondly, the indigent defendant already has a transcript of the record in the trial court reproduced and thirdly, they could possibly have a decision recorded by the first appellate court that a greater court can use in order to review the issues at hand. With all this being said, the court says there is enough material to effectively and sufficiently guarantee that a review request by the greater court is meaningful. When it comes to the dissent in this case, Justice Douglas is joined by Justice Marshall and Justice Brennan. All three justices agree with Chief Judge Haynsworths opinion who believes that the most meaningful review of the defendant’s criminal conviction would be at the North Caroline Supreme Court. Thus, counsel is essential to the process. The dissenting justices, reviewing a conviction is of utmost important when it comes to fairness and it must require counsel assistance. They believe that all the briefings from the first appeal and all of the records do not address the issue that the Supreme Court has to resolve which is whether the particular case is worthy of review. The justices also believe that appointed counsel is essential at further appeal stage because arranging a petition of certiorari is very technical in nature and a indigent defendant will be particularly incapable to negotiate. Lastly, they assert that is would be tremendously easy to have the exact same ap pointed counsel from the earlier appeal to remain the defendants counsel in the later stages of appeal. As a result, Justice Douglas and the other would have ruled that the fairness of the due process clause and equal protection equality would demand appointed counsel in discretionary appeals. Overall, if Justice Rehnquist accepted the dissent’s view about relative need, he would not have to overrule Douglas v. California (372 U.S. 353, 1963). It states in Ross v. Moffitt that the fourteenth amendments’ due process clause does not require North Carolina to offer the defendant with an attorney on his discretionary appeal to the State Supreme Court. The Douglas issue was whether the assistance of counsel during the first appeal of right is a fundamental right in which they decided that indigent petitioners are indeed entitled to appointed counsel at the appellate level. However, the dissent in Ross v. Moffitt, (417 U.S. 600, 1974) by Justice Douglas, Brennan and Marshall are essentially arguing that there should be a right to appointed counsel beyond the first appeal as of right. Thus, Justice Rehnquist accepting the dissent does not necessarily mean he would have to overrule Douglas v. California, (372 U.S. 353, 1963) but to go ahead and extend the ruling to h aving an appointed counsel beyond the first appeal as of right. The courts holding in Mr. Goodbars’ case is supported by Strickland v. Washington, (466 U.S. 668, 1984). In the Strickland case, in order to achieve relief due to ineffective assistance of counsel, a criminal defendant has to pass a two prong test about his/her counsels’ assistance during the proceeding. The first test has to show that their counsels’ performance fell below an objective standard of reasonableness. The second test has to show that the counsels’ lacking performance gives a rational likelihood that, if counsel had performed effectively, the result of the proceeding would have been different. In this particular case, Mr. Goodbar did not show any proof of his counsel doing anything unreasonable or omitting something that should have been said or shown during the proceeding. He is merely presenting the court with a copy of a study that determined that indigents charged with non-capital murder in Philadelphia between 1994- 2005, had a lesser chance of receiving a life sentence if they were represented by a public defender than assigned counsel. Just presenting a study does not show in any way that counsel was ineffective in his/her assistance. Strickland v. Washington (466 U.S. 668, 1984) clearly states that if a defendant wants to prove an ineffectiveness claim they must have proof of counsels’ inadequate performance and because of that inadequacy the result would have been different. Therefore, without proof of being deprived of effective assistance to counsel, the courts holding will stand accordingly.

Analysis of a Womens Quota in India

Analysis of a Womens Quota in India INTRODUCTION OF WOMENS RESERVATION BILL The question of a womens quota in India is distinct from any other nation because the Constitution of India has already provided for quotas for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) formerly untouchable castes in the Hindu community and the Scheduled Tribes (STs). It has provisions for similar measures for the socially and educationally backward classes now termed as the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). These quotas are for admissions to educational institutions, public sector employment and political representation. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments provided for 33% quotas for womens representation in the local self-government institutions. These Amendments were implemented in 1993. They were enacted without any pressure or persistent demand from women or any other section. Prior to these Amendments the State of Karnataka had introduced 25% womens quota in Panchayati Raj Institutions.1 First elections after the implementation of quotas were held in 1987 (Jain 1996). Later, State of Mah arashtra passed a law providing for 30% reservation of seats for women in rural as well as urban local self-government institutions. It is curious that, in spite of over 1,000,000 elected women representatives flooding the local governments; the womens movement in India was totally silent over this issue till 1996. The smooth passage of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments encouraged all major national political parties to commit themselves to extending 33% womens quota to state legislatures and Parliament. The 81st Constitutional Amendment Bill, popularly known as the Womens Reservation Bill, was introduced in the Parliament in 1996 to that effect. The womens movement had no role in bringing about this Bill. It did offer some inputs in the Committee hearings but it became vocal and visible on this issue only after its first debacle in eleventh Lok Sabha. Even then, this visibility was in the form of demonstrations and sit-ins in front of the Parliament and not by way of proactive intervention in the electoral process by supporting women candidates or recruiting movements spokespersons in elective roles on various levels. OBJECTIVES OF WOMENS RESERVATION BILL The proposer of the policy of reservation state that although equality of the sexes is enshrined in the Constitution, it is not the reality. Therefore, forceful affirmative action is required to improve the condition of women. Also, there is evidence that political reservation has increased redistribution of resources in favour of the groups which benefit from reservation. A study about the effect of reservation for women in panchayats shows that women elected under the reservation policy invest more in the public goods closely linked to womens concerns. In 2008, commissioned by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, reveals that a sizeable proportion of women representatives perceive an enhancement in their self-esteem, confidence and decision-making ability. Some opponents argue that separate constituencies for women would not only narrow their outlook but lead to perpetuation of unequal status because they would be seen as not competing on merit. For instance, in the Constituent Assembly, Mrs Renuka Ray argued against reserving seats for women: When there is reservation of seats for women, the question of their consideration for general seats, however competent they may be, does not usually arise. We feel that women will get more chances if the consideration is of ability alone.12 Opponents also contend that reservation would not lead to political empowerment of women because: (a) Larger issues of electoral reforms such as measures to check criminalisation of politics, internal democracy in political parties, influence of black money, etc. have not been addressed, (b) It could lead to election of proxies or relatives of male candidates. LOK SABHA Reserved seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in the state or union territory. If a state or union territory has only one seat in the Lok Sabha, that seat shall be reserved for women in the first general election of every cycle of three elections. If there are two seats, each shall be reserved once in a cycle of three elections. Similar rules apply for seats reserved for SC/STs. Of the two seats in the Lok Sabha reserved for Anglo Indians, one will be reserved for women in each of the two elections in a cycle of three elections. LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES The Bill reserves one-third of all seats in the legislative assemblies that are to be filled by direct election for women. Such seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in the state. For SC/ST seats, similar rules as those for the Lok Sabha apply. KEY FEATURES 1. As nearly as may be one-third of all seats in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies shall be reserved for women. 2. Reservation shall apply in case of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) as well. 3. Seats to be reserved in rotation will be determined by draw of lots in such a way that a seat shall be reserved only once in three consecutive general elections. DEMOCRACY The concept of democracy will only assume true and dynamic significance when political parties and national legislatures are decided upon jointly by men and women in equitable regard for the interests and aptitudes of both halves of the population. Inter-Parliamentary Union, 1994 While there is no universally accepted definition of democracy, any functional analysis must include two fundamental principles: all members of the society must have equal access to power, and all members must enjoy universally recognised freedoms and liberties. The Indian model of democracy also prioritises representation so as to avoid the pitfalls of majority rule. On this basis, there already exists a quota for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. It is clear from the statistics alone that women do not have easy access to raditional power structures. Their entry into public spaces is persistently isabled by prevailing historical constructions of gender, created and perpetuated by the dominant institutions such as family, religion, education and the State. Nevertheless, the nature of this relationship also means that the same institutions which created the imbalance can take responsibility for its repair. The final objective of reservation is to increase womens visibility in all policy decisions on the basis that all policy decisions affect women as well as men, and affect women differently to men. This applies equally to the harder issues such as trade, industry, agriculture, defence, employment etc., as it does to those softer issues which are traditionally assigned to women politicians. Political participation of all sections of society is essential for building a functioning and representative democracy. Women must therefore be present in new arenas of decision making, with their experiences, perspectives and visions of the future informing public debate. Reservation will provide elected women with the ability to compliment elected men in making the rules that apply equally to both sexes, and which women are equally expected to abide by. Reservations on Reservation The greatest impediment to the passing of the Bill is the insistence from certain political lobbies on a quota within a quota for women of other backward classes (OBC). The concern is that, without these provisions, elected women will come from the ruling classes alone and will selectively represent the interests of these socio-political elite. OBCs and Muslim women are not currently represented Within the Womens Reservation Bill simply because there is no general reservation for OBCs and Muslims and as such a sub-quota within the Womens Reservation Bill may be unconstitutional. Whilst it might be possible to add a sub-clause, the push should first be for a Constitutional Amendment that enables a general OBC quota and/or a non-secular quota for Muslims. This was the recommendation of the Joint Select Committee Formed in 1996, which responded to a common delegation of backward caste MPs with the assertion that sub-reservations for OBC women were not legally permissible until a separate constitutional amendment established a general quota. In addition to a number of minor technical adjustments, the Committee then recommended that the bill be passed into law as soon as possible. Interestingly, neither Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party nor any other leader has of yet brought a proposal for reservation for OBCs or other minorities to be debated and discussed in the Parliament. Once the Womens Reservation Bill is passed, quotas for general reservation for other social groups can be raised in the parliament as a separate Issue, with one third of the seats within these distinct quotas subsequently reserved for women. Even with no general quota, it is difficult to understand why it is assumed that OBCs will be less well represented upon the implementation of womens reservation. To quote the former Judge of Delhi High Court, Justice Rajinder Sachar (PUCL Report, 2003), There are about 200 OBC candidates in the Lok Sabha It is not their public service, but merely the caste configuration that has preferred them. Similar results will follow even after the reservation for women. CLIMRAP Subsequently, womens organisations and the National Commission for Women (NCW) have accused detractors in parliament of making demandsfor OBC sub-quotas simply to undermine the bill and safeguard their own seats, or alternatively to keep their Muslim and OBC vote bank intact at a highly opportune time. They claim that, within the parties most Protesting about the need for female representation from backward classes, there are remarkably few female candidates or elected representatives: the Samajwadi Party (SP), for example, has 2 women representatives out of a total of 39 MPs. If these MPs were truly concerned about the lot of OBC women, it should have been possible before now to distribute party tickets to female candidates from OBCs and other minorities. There are also very real dangers in compartmentalising the Issue of womens empowerment. The NCW have noted that quotas are one of the few issues to unite women in parliament from across party lines often because many of these women have personally witnessed the systemic discrimination that impedes womens participation in electoral and political procedures. Reservation is a tool that begins to repair the damage caused by Centuries of discrimination that exists ubiquitously across political parties, across social classes and across community divisions. Of any excluded group, the most deprived member will always be a woman. 22.5 per cent of seats in Parliament are already reserved for SC/ST of which just over 7 per cent are held by women and around 200 MPs are from OBCs (well over a third of the Lok Sabha). In contrast, just 8 per cent of seats in the national legislature are held by women. There is undoubtedly a need to further the participation of Lower castes and classes, but an alternative prop is needed to the Womens Reservation Bill. The government cannot continue to be sidelined on this issue because there are men in Parliament who apparently possess more pressing Concerns than the liberation of half the population. Ultimately, mens very presence in Parliament will always enable them to shout louder and more often Until the Bill is passed. METHODOLOGY Womens Rights and Social Development I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved. B.R. Ambedkar Taking measures to enhance the status and visibility of women is critical for sustainable progress against the range of human development indicators, Both because women are particularly vulnerable to social and economic marginalisation when resources are scarce, and because women are critical agents in the development processes. According to various international reports, development in India is being severely hampered by the breadth of the gender gap and limited female participation in traditionally male dominated institutions and social strata as in below: India and the Gender Gap The World Economic Forums annual Gender Gap Report (2007) affirmed that there are just six countries Iran, Bahrain, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen performing worse against economic parameters, with women constituting a mere 3 per cent of legislators, senior officials and managers and making up 90 per cent of informal workers in the economy. Against other major indicators, there is also immense cause for concern: India has the largest number of maternal deaths in the world and shocking rates of female malnutrition, and a woman in India has lesser chance of survival than in all but 2 of 128 countries. The oft-discussed imbalance in the sex ratio can be attributed not only to female infanticide, as is often assumed but to sustained neglect from infancy of female health, nutrition and wellbeing. A girl child is up to 3 times more likely to be malnourished than her brother (UN), and is also significantly more likely to drop out of school before completing a full eight years of education. As well as passive neglect, violence against women and girl children is on the rise: the number of rapes per day has increased by nearly 700 per cent since 1971, and thousands of dowry deaths occur each year (National Crime Records Bureau). There are countless studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of womens empowerment as a tool for development. For example, Kerala and Manipur have experienced rapid progress in improving health and reducing mortality and fertility rates the benefits of which affect men as well as women and in these states women also play a vital social and economic role. This correlation should not be surprising, given that nutrition and child health generally fall within the remit of the womans household decisions. Ultimately, healthy, educated and empowered women are more likely to raise healthy, educated and confident children and engage positively with the life of the community (UNICEF). To eliminate gender discrimination and promote female empowerment, womens decision making capacity must therefore be enhanced within the household, the workplace and the political sphere. Increased political influence should have reverberations for womens equality in the other two realms, which will in turn have implications for Indias performance against all milestones for social progress. Reservation of seats is a basic, consistent and logical step towards both womens emancipation and inclusive development particularly for a government which promised that the equal access to participation and decision making of women in the social, political and economic life of the nation would be at the heart of its agenda (National Policy for the Empowerment of Women, 2001). Experiences in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) The challenges faced by elected women in local government are often extreme, and have been widely documented by both proponents and critics of womens reservation. However, it is important to note that there are also many success stories from within the PRIs. Where womens presence has been meaningful, they have been able to make a significant contribution to the life of the community and offer an alternative perspective to the traditional status quo. Womens panchayats have also successfully campaigned and taken action on pressing issues that impact on womens rights such as alcoholism, child marriage, domestic violence and gambling. Nevertheless, the experiments with reservation in PRIs have demonstrated that it will be necessary to ensure that women access equal opportunities to progress within the political system, and that fixed reservation in the Lok Sabha does not act as a seal on participation. Few women from PRIs have of yet managed to progress through the ranks and enter State Assemblies, national legislatures etc. Processes of promotion Within decision making bodies must therefore be facilitated, for it is overly simplistic to imagine that prejudice is not dispersed within the institutions of governance themselves. Women demand one third reservation in parliament 30 Aug 2009, 0014 hrs IST, ET Bureau Thursday should have been a red-letter day for Indian women. Thats when the Cabinet agreed to hike reservation for women in all tiers of the Panchayati raj system from the existing 33% to 50%. In a country where the Womens Reservation Bill, reserving a third of the seats in Parliament for women, has been stonewalled for 13 years, the decision marks a victory, however small. But its not enough. Especially if, as many suspect, it is a convenient ploy to draw attention away from the main issue: the inability (unwillingness?) of the government to deliver on its promise of reserving seats for women in parliament. The unstated underlying logic (?) seems to be more women are fine provided they are at the sub-ordinate level of decision making. So give them more seats in Panchayati level institutions that are anyway fairly powerless but dont allow them to sup at the high table of Parliament/state legislatures But is that fair, either to the women or the country? Research suggests that having more women lawmakers makes a huge difference, not just to women, but to society as a whole especially in poor countries. In Rwanda, for instance, a much-needed law that defines rape and protects victims of sexual abuse was passed only after women legislators became a force to reckon with. Their male counterparts saw the subject as taboo. (Rwanda, incidentally, is the first country in the world where women are in a majority in Parliament). Unfortunately, Rwanda is an exception. In the 100 odd years since women were first elected to a national parliament, only 18.4% of seats worldwide are currently held by women. To address this, close to 110 countries have introduced rules to help women get elected. So has India but with one difference. We, or rather our male Parliamentarians, are willing to allow more representation to women, but not where it matters, in Parliament and state legislatures. This is why even as Indian women celebrate Thursdays decision by the Union Cabinet they must see it for what it is mere crumbs! The fact is more than sixty years after independence women are among the most deprived sections of Indian society. In law, the Indian woman has few equals in the world. The Indian Constitution, unlike many others, gave equal rights to women as to men right from day one. In every respect she is on par with the Indian man. But only on paper! In reality, the picture could not be more different. On almost every human development indicator, women trail not just their male counterparts but also women in neighbouring countries; countries that are not only poorer but cannot boast of so many women at the helm of affairs: a president, a chief minister and a powerful political leader at the centre. Take, for instance, maternal mortality rates. Deaths during childbirth in India are way above the S Asia average. In Sri lanka almost all births take place in institutions; in India this number is below 40%. Again, poorest women in Bangladesh have 72 % the health coverage of the richest; in Pakistan the comparable figure is 63 % but in India the number drops to 55% in urban areas and just 37 % in rural areas. This state of affairs has much to do with the fact that less than one in ten legislators in parliament or state assemblies in India is a woman. According to the Delhi-based PRS Legislative Research, women accounted for less than 7% the total MLAs in 28 states and two union territories and little over 9 % of the total number of MPs in the last Lok Sabha. The position has improved in the 15th Lok Sabha, but only marginally. Agreed reservation as a policy instrument is a poor substitute for ensuring equality of opportunity, whether in educational institutions or in jobs or in Parliament. .But having said that, it is nothing but hypocrisy when a political class that regards reservation as an answer to social discrimination suffered by SCs, STs, and now OBCs, argues it is not an answer when it comes to increasing the presence of women in Parliament. Thursdays Cabinets decision to reserve 50% seats in Panchayats for women while stonewalling the Womens Reservation Bill must, therefore, be seen for what it is: a bid to divert attention from the much larger issue at stake. There is no reason why the rest of the country, especially its womenfolk, should fall for it. IMPLICATIONS OF THE BILL The main provisions of the Bill, as introduced in the Rajya Sabha in May 2008, are: 1. Not less than one-third of seats to be reserved in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies for women. 2. One-third of the total number of seats reserved under clause (2) of article 330 (the existing quota for Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes) to be reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes. 3. Reservation of seats to cease to exist or expire after 15 years of the commencement of the constitutional amendment. 4. To select women candidates through a system of rotation, by which one third of the total number of constituencies to be reserved for women candidates, will be determined through a draw of lots. 5. To consider extending the reservation to Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Councils of States, without making any definite provisions within the scope of the current Bill. KEY SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS 1. There are divergent views on the reservation policy. Proponents stress the necessity of affirmative action to improve the condition of women. Some recent studies on panchayats have shown the positive effect of reservation on empowerment of women and on allocation of resources. 2. Opponents argue that it would perpetuate the unequal status of women since they would not be perceived to be competing on merit. They also contend that this policy diverts attention from the larger issues of electoral reform such as criminalisation of politics and inner party democracy. 3. Reservation of seats in Parliament restricts choice of voters to women candidates. Therefore, some experts have suggested alternate methods such as reservation in political parties and dual member constituencies. 4. Rotation of reserved constituencies in every election may reduce the incentive for an MP to work for his constituency as he may be ineligible to seek re-election from that constituency. 5. The report examining the 1996 womens reservation Bill recommended that reservation be provided for women of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) once the Constitution was amended to allow for reservation for OBCs. It also recommended that reservation be extended to the Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Councils. Neither of these recommendations has been incorporated in the Bill. CONCLUSION As in India there are several reservations like SC, ST and OBC etc. is already present from its independence. However in 1996 a talk of another reservation bill called womens reservation bill was debated to introduce. However it is not applied till now. By the womens reservation bill we can easily prevent discrimination of womens from our society by applying the womens reservation bill. Some leaders like Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulyam Singh Yadav are not in favour of womens reservation bill because they think that there are already several reservations like SC , ST and OBC etc. some people thinks that they are right while some other are not in favour of this bill. By passing this bill we make womens more responsive and hardworkers. Along with this there is increase in participation of Indian womens. Lawful Representation There is nothing so unequal as the equal treatment of unequals. Aristotle The Constitution of India is a progressive document that guarantees equal rights for both sexes, and entitles women to enjoy economic, social, cultural and political rights on an equal footing with men (Article 325). It proceeds to consider the appropriate use of legislation to redress inequality and prevent the Further infringement of womens fundamental democratic freedoms and human rights. Under Article 15 (3), the State is thereby empowered to make special provisions, legislative or otherwise, to secure womens socio-political advancement. Indian case law has already interpreted the Equal Protection provisions to allow for affirmative action for women. In addition, India is a signatory to a number of international agreements that support proactive state measures for womens political development: 1. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was ratified by India in 1993. Article 3 discusses appropriate measures, including legislation, to ensure the full advancement of women. Beyond this, Article 7 affirms that signatories should take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public life of the country. It recognises that, unless countries take active steps to promote this integration, women will never be able to fully enjoy the basic human rights guaranteed in international law. 2. The Inter Parliamentary Unions (IPU) Universal Declaration on Democracy (1997) asserted that the achievement of genuine democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society in which they work in equality and complementarily, drawing mutual enrichment from their differences. 3. The Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), 1995 affirmed that womens persistent exclusion from decision making was substantially hampering the achievement of democratic transformation, womens empowerment and achieving the goals of sustainable development. The BPfA therefore endorses affirmative action for women in the political spheres. Under the Constitution and other national and international Commitments, the State is thereby under an obligation to protect and promote the human rights of women, including the right to political equality, without any discrimination on the basis of sex. 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