Dhankhar gives Rajya Sabha all-women vice-chairs panel for a day

NEW DELHI: As the women's reservation bill was being discussed in Rajya Sabha, the proceedings were presided over by an all-women panel of vice-chairpersons from across parties. Nominated member P T Usha was the first of 13 women in the chair as Congress's Ranjeet Ranjan opened the discussion from the opposition side. The visitors galleries were also overflowing with women and students.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar had reconstituted the panel of vice-chairpersons for the day and said their presence would send a message to the world and symbolise that they held a "commanding position" during this "epochal moment of change".

Besides Usha, those who presided over the proceedings included the first woman MP from Nagaland S Phangnon Konyak of BJP, Samajwadi Party's Jaya Bachchan, Saroj Pandey (BJP), Rajani Ashokrao Patil (Congress), Fauzia Khan (NCP), Dola Sen (TMC), Indu Bala Goswami (BJP), Kanimozhi NVN Somu (DMK), Mahua Maji (JMM), Kalpana Saini and Kavita Patidar (both BJP), and Sulata Deo (BJD).

Amid the heated exchanges, the House also had its share of lighter moments. After a fiery speech, Ranjan pointed to the presence of Usha in the chair and said as a child, it was her dream win a gold medal like the ace Olympian.