Day 30 -Q 2.What is the role of the National Commission for Women? What is its constitution? Has it been effective in addressing women issues in India? Critically examine.

2. What is the role of the National Commission for Women? What is its constitution? Has it been effective in addressing women issues in India? Critically examine. 

राष्ट्रीय महिला आयोग की क्या भूमिका है? इसकी संरचना क्या है? क्या यह भारत में महिला सम्बंधित मुद्दों को संबोधित करने में प्रभावी रहा है? समालोचनात्मक से जांच करें।

Introduction:

Owing to the overwhelmingly patriarchal structure of our society, women have been relegated to a secondary status and have been subject to various legal and social discriminations. The framers of the Constitution recognized the need to remove such inequities, and made special provisions to redress the same. The need was felt for a structure to uphold the rights and implement the provisions of beneficial legislations in an organized and institutionalized manner. The National Commission for Women (NCW) is a statutorily constituted body under the National Commission for Women Act.1990.

Body

Role of the commission

• To examine constitutional and legal safeguards for women.
• To take up cases of violations of the provisions of the constitution or any other laws affecting women and recommend so as to provide legislative remedies.
• To inspect remand home, women’s institution where women are kept as prisoners or otherwise take up the concerned authority for remedial action, if necessary.

  Constitution of the Commission

1. A Chairperson, committed to the cause of women, to be nominated by the Central Government.
2. five Members to be nominated by the Central Government from amongst persons of ability, integrity and standing who have had experience in law or legislation, trade unionism, management of an industry potential of women, women’s voluntary organization’s (including women activist), administration, economic development, health, education or social welfare; Provided that at least one Member each shall be from amongst persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes respectively.
3. a Member-Secretary to be nominated by the Central Government who shall be :-                             

• • an expert in the field of management, organizational structure or sociological movement, or
  • An officer who is a member of a civil service of the Union or of an all-India service or holds a civil post under the Union with appropriate experience.

It has been effective in addressing women issues

A number of enquiry commission have been established by the commission under section 8(1) of the act to look into the matters of law and legislation, political empowerment, custodial justice for women, social security, panchayat raj, women and media, development of scheduled tribe woman, development of women of weaker sections, development of women of minority communities, transfer of technology and agriculture for development of women. Among other highlights includes the anti-child marriage agitation in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, public hearings on problems of Muslim women, the impact of globalization on women or land-related problems, economic empowerment of tribal women has been successfully organized by commission all over the country. 

However, commission fails to do complete justice as the body remains toothless due to following  

• The Commission has no concrete legislative powers. It only has the powers to recommend amendments and submit reports which are not binding on state or Union Governments.
• The Commission does not have the power to select its own members. This power is vested with the Union Government and in India’s volatile political scenario the Commission may be politicized.
• The Commission is dependent on grants from the Union Government for its financial functioning and this could compromise the independence of the Commission.

Way forward

• The Commission suggested that the chairperson of NCW be given the status of the Union Cabinet Minister and the Members that of Minister of State. This will put more power in the Commission’s hands and thus its recommendations will have a greater degree of force.

• The Commission must be granted the power to select its own members. If needed a separate body, selected from within the Commission, should be constituted in order to carry these functions.

• The Commission must be given allocated funds in the Union as well as the State Budgets in order facilitate smooth functioning. Currently funds are only allocated at the Central level and not the state level.

Conclusion

The Objectives, organizational structure and administrative set up of NCW clearly show the relevance of its existence and its significance. it’s not only the duty of the state but also it’s the duty of the citizens as a whole to look into if such miss conducts in our society is taking place or not. There should me more public awareness and participation for the women oppression so as make the work of the National Commission for Women more justifiable.