Woman MP makes debut as presiding officer in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi, July 21: Kahkashan Perween, a woman member of Parliament of the Janata Dal (United) from Bihar, on Friday made her debut as the presiding officer in Rajya Sabha after being nominated to the panel of Vice Chairmen.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu had in March appointed Perween to the panel of Vice Chairmen. The appointment came after various members of the House urged the Chairman to appoint a woman member in the panel on the occasion of International Women's Day.

Several private member Bills were introduced with Perween in the Chair after the Upper House reconvened post the lunch break at 2:30 PM.

These include The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2018 insertion of new article 21 B); The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2018; The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment) Bill 2018; The Contempt of Courts (Amendment) Bill; The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018; The Prevention of Gender Pay Gap Bill, 2018; The National Tribal Education Board Bill 2018; and The Farmers' Right to Guaranteed Remunerative Minimum Support Prices for Agricultural Commodities Bill 2018.

Perween was the chairperson of the Women's Commission in Bihar and had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly election in 2010 from Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district and had also served as Mayor of Bhagalpur.

The Rajya Sabha Chairman nominates from amongst the members of the House a panel of not more than six Vice Chairmen, any one of whom may preside over the House in the absence of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman.