New Delhi, Feb 17: The Uttar Pradesh government has informed the Supreme Court that it is making changes to state laws to remove the practice of appointing the wives and family members of bureaucrats as ex-officio members in cooperative societies and trusts. The government is also working on model rules to regulate these entities, especially those receiving financial aid from the state.
The Supreme Court criticized the Uttar Pradesh government on 6th May, for requiring the wife of the district magistrate of Bulandshahr to serve as the president of registered societies in the district. The court denounced the norm as “atrocious” and “humiliating for all women,” questioning its relevance and practicality in today’s society. It raised concerns about gender bias and the state’s endorsement of such a practice. Additionally, it rejected the concept of spousal proxy presidents and urged the state’s women and child development department to justify the propriety and legality of the regulation. This issue arose from a dispute related to Bulandshahr’s Zila Mahila Samiti, and the case has raised questions about the state’s endorsement and approval of certain regulations.
