Students and others during the first Youth Parliament organised by Department of Political Science at Kohima College.
Kohima, October 23 (MExN): Department of Political Science at Kohima College organised its first Youth Parliament, with students debating the topic ‘33% Reservation for Women: Road towards Gender Empowerment and Inclusive Governance.’
The event provided a platform for students to engage in a simulated parliamentary session and deliberate on one of the country's significant contemporary issues, a press release stated.
The session was presided over by Wati Lkr, a third-semester Political Science Honours student, who served as the Speaker of the House. A panel of judges comprising department faculty Dr Konei Nakhro, Ase Yalie, and Kevinguno Rose assessed the participants, the spokesperson said.
During the simulated parliamentary debate, students representing both the ruling and opposition parties presented spirited arguments. Members of the ruling party emphasised that the 33% reservation for women in political institutions was a necessary step towards bridging the gender gap in governance.
They argued that India, despite being one of the world’s largest democracies with women constituting nearly half its population, continues to witness poor representation of women in politics with only about 15% at the national level and less than 10% in many state assemblies.
Speakers highlighted how societal barriers, domestic violence, and fear of harassment discourage women from entering political life, calling the bill a progressive step towards correcting historical inequality.
The opposition, however, raised critical concerns about the timing and implementation of the bill. They questioned the linkage of the Women’s Reservation Bill to future census and delimitation exercises, warning that such provisions could delay its enforcement. Several speakers also pointed out the absence of sub-reservation for OBC women and cautioned against the possibility of “elite capture,” where urban or privileged women might dominate the reserved seats while rural and marginalised women remain excluded.
Opposition members further argued that while they strongly supported women’s empowerment, true empowerment must arise from education, training, and social reform rather than dependency on reservation. One speaker noted, “Political participation should come through competence and leadership, not gender-based entitlement. We have seen women leaders like Indira Gandhi and Jayalalithaa rise without reservation — proving that women can lead through merit.”
Following the debate, the results were announced. Lenvishe from MA 1st Semester won the first prize, Kekhrievor from BA 1st Semester secured the second prize, and Vetazo Veswuh from BA 5th Semester was awarded the third prize.
