![Women rising](https://cdn.magzter.com/1335344221/1677574551/articles/eRgKze6C21677664542913/WOMEN-RISING.jpg)
WOMEN HAVE been at the forefront of politics and governance in India in recent years. Schemes, slogans, and women-centric themes in important policies are increasingly becoming tools to encourage and woo this fast-growing electoral group.
In the 2019 general elections, women and men voted in almost equal numbers. And since then, the number of women voters has seen an increase of 5.1 percent, while that of men has risen 3.6 percent, according to a January 2022 address by the country's chief election commissioner. Over the years, women have emerged as the most critical constituencies for political parties, who have been including their concerns in electoral announcements. Governments have also introduced women-centric policies; for instance, through the provision of gender parity in wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act; through the building of toilets or izzat ghars under the Swachh Bharat mission; through the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana that provides LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) connections in the name of women of the households; through the provision of tapped water supply under the Jal Jeevan Mission, which gives women and young girls a respite from the age-old practice of carrying buckets of water to meet their daily household needs; and through several measures by state governments to provide free public transport and cycles to women.
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Look Beyond Dust
Reinvent National Clean Air Programme to focus on fine particulate matter and trans-boundary pollution
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PLAN THEM COOL
As urban India turns into a heat trap, the government must focus on improving cities' liveability
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Vision 2030
Economic growth must take into account needs of energy transition, climate mitigation, with action aligned as per India's 2030 climate goals
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FIX OUR FOOD
Chemical-dependent farming, lax labelling laws, rising anti-microbial resistance must top the agenda
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BATTLE THE CAR BULGE
Clean, affordable, integrated and accessible public transport the only solution
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CONSERVE NOW
Disregard for biodiversity conservation over the past two decades needs immediate redressal
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SCRAP THE DUMP
Disincentivise garbage dumping, invest in behavioural change
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THINK LONG-TERM
India needs continued emphasis on flagship programmes, aligned to long-term planning that focusses on water security and circular economy in a climate-risked era
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OVERHAUL OVERDUE
Hold polluting industries accountable for public health risks, environmental hazards, climate change; provide them support for green transition
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IT'S NOW OR NEVER
Clean energy sectors need demand-driven markets and domestic industries that can cater to the entire value chain