Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday said the passing of the 'triple talaq' bill in the Rajya Sabha was a "great moment in India's legislative history" as it would ensure justice for Muslim women.
Speaking at the diamond jubilee celebrations of Delhi University's Janki Devi Memorial College here, Naidu said the bill was long overdue for a country that has taken great pride in its deep-rooted principles of democracy, secularism and equality.
He hailed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, that was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, saying it was aimed at securing gender rights.
"The passing of the bill is indeed a great moment in India's legislative history. It is a major social reform that will go a long way in ensuring justice for Muslim women. I compliment all MPs for passing this crucial bill," he said at the event.
The vice-president stressed that investing in the capabilities of women and empowering them were important for propelling economic growth and their overall development.
He observed that women's education has been found to have a more significant effect on lowering poverty and promotion of sustainable development.
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Pointing out that women's literacy was more than just about economic opportunities, the vice president said that increasing knowledge and awareness among women would have a huge, positive impact on the society.
"As India aspires to be a 5 trillion-dollar economy and dreams of acquiring a position of leadership in the world, it simply cannot neglect the importance of education and the empowerment of women," he said.
Quoting the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Report, Naidu said raising women's labour force participation to that of men could boost GDP by as much as 27 per cent in India.
"If 50 per cent of skilled women could join the workforce, India can scale its growth by 1.5 percentage points to nine per cent a year. India needs its women to contribute to the workforce," he added.
Naidu called upon the universities and schools to strive to become centres of excellence where knowledge was imparted, skills were honed, character was built, curiosity was inspired and morals were fortified.
To achieve this, Naidu said that there was an urgent need to reorient the education system.
He said India simply cannot harbour an obsolete educational system that promotes mediocrity, rote learning, stifles creativity and pulls the society backwards instead of propelling it forward into the future.
"Our educational institutions must shun status quo and embrace change in accordance with the changing times. We have to constantly and objectively evaluate our curricula, teaching methodologies and research facilities. We need to keep updating and upgrading," he said.
He asserted that educational institutions must impart essential skills to students, including crucial life skills required for the knowledge-driven, interconnected world of the 21st century.
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