TRIPURA COMMISSION FOR WOMEN

April 2006 – March 2007

The Tripura Commission for Women (TCW) was established by the Government of Tripura as an autonomous statutory body on 5th February, 1994 in pursuance of the Tripura Commission for Women Act, 1993 (Tripura Act No. 1 of 1994) to protect and promote the rights and interests of women.

A Brief History

The Committee on Status of Women in India headed by late Dr.Phularenu Guha, recommended in its report, Towards Equality (1974), for constituting a Statutory Autonomous Commission for Women at the Centre and at the State for vigilant supervision to facilitate redressal of grievances in cases of actual violation of existing law and to accelerate the social and economic development of women. In fact, the report claimed that women in India, rather than benefitting from country’s development, had fared far worse because of lack of education and limited participation in income generating activities. The development process, instead of improving their status, had marginalized them even further. But, even after that recommendation, it took long time to take initiative for constituting the said Commission for Women in the country.

However, in order to deal with the growing inadequacies in the implementation of the existing programmes for women and to deal with issues which have to be addressed if the status of women is to improve, a separate plan document, The National Perspective Plan for Women 1988-2000 AD was prepared by the Planning Commission. The growing demand for accelerating the rate of women’s development and the country’s concentrated efforts to meet this challenge led the constitution of the National Commission for Women Act in 1992. The Commission envisaged a holistic approach to women’s problems. According to The National Commission for Women, 1990, the Commission will have to be consulted on all important policy matters related to gender issues. According to the Act, the Commission functions under the federal constitutional framework of distribution of powers between the Centre and the States. The need to go down to the grass roots level has to be fulfilled by State Commissions working in coordination with the National Commission. 

Setting up of the National Commission for Women generated lot of hopes among the women of the country in general and Tripura in particular. Movement was launched in Tripura for constituting State Commission for Women where women from all walks of life were equal partners. In 1993 The Tripura Commission for Women Act was passed in the Legislative Assembly of Tripura and received assent of the Governor on January 1, 1994.

Accordingly, the first Commission for Women in Tripura was constituted on February 5, 1994. Smt. Manjulika Basu, the veteran leader of democratic movement and a pioneer of women’s movement in Tripura, was nominated by the State Government as the Chairperson and Smti Mangaleswari Debbarma as Vice-Chairperson of the Commission. The First Commission worked for three terms consecutively (February 1994 – March 2003) under the competent Chairmanship of Smti Manjulika Basu. The Fourth Commission was set up on April 1, 2003 with Smt. Champa Dasgupta as Chairperson and Smti Bina Debbarma as Vice-Chairperson. The present Commission took over in April 2006 and Dr.Tapati Chakravarti was nominated by the State Government as Chairperson and Smt. Sumitra Debbarma as Vice -chairperson. 
Constitution of the State Women’s Commission.

( Chapter 11, Section 3 of The Tripura commission for Women Act, 1993 )

3. (1) The State Government shall, within a period of three months from the date of coming into force of this Act, by notification in the official Gazette constitute a body to be known as the Tripura Commission for Women.

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