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Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, has once again emphasized the importance of women empowerment and “One Nation, One Election”. He stressed that empowering women or Matri Shakti is still one of the priorities of the government and covers all fields of education, healthcare, rights, employment, reservation, and self-employment.

Dhami made this statement in the backdrop of a recent Sant Samaj meet in Haridwar, where the idea of conducting Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections simultaneously has been supported by all participants who were religious leaders.

Focus of Dhami Government on Women Empowerment

The government of Uttarakhand has associated women empowerment with education, employment, security, and economic independence. Women enjoy 30% horizontal reservation in government jobs in Uttarakhand under the Act that provides for horizontal reservation for women in the public services of Uttarakhand.

Self-help groups, women entrepreneurs and rural livelihood programs have also been highlighted by the government as important areas of focus. With regard to the Mukhyamantri Udyamshala Yojana, the government of Uttarakhand claims that the scheme has brought benefits to more than 13,000 entrepreneurs, out of which more than 8,000 are women entrepreneurs and self-help groups.

As per the state government, more than 2.54 lakh women are now Lakhpati Didis. Further, interest free loans for self-help groups are being advocated by the state government as the means to empower women economically.

Link Between UCC and Rights of Women

The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is yet another major initiative taken by the Dhami government. Uttarakhand was the first state in India to implement UCC, wherein common rules apply for all matters like marriage, divorce, maintenance, and inheritance.

The state government has portrayed the law as the law for equality and protection of the rights of women and children. Changes in procedures and administration in terms of UCC were also introduced in the year 2026.

‘One Nation, One Election’ Supported by Sant Samaj

A Sant Samaj conference was organized in Haridwar on 23rd August on the topic of 'One Nation, One Election'. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, yoga guru Swami Ramdev, and some religious leaders were present there.

As per the proposal, the elections for the Lok Sabha and the state Assemblies need to be held simultaneously. It is said that simultaneous elections may help save money spent on conducting elections repeatedly and give more time to the government to pay attention to other aspects of governance and development.

CM Dhami Sees Positive Outcomes of Electoral Reform Plan

Dhami believes that his idea will soon take shape under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But in order to hold simultaneous elections, some constitutional changes are needed.

For the time being, the government led by CM Dhami wants to focus on the empowerment of women and electoral reform plan.