LUCKNOW, July 25 -- Demanding immediate policy reforms and an end to police heavy-handedness, the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) held a seminar on women's reservation and student issues at its state office near Lok Bhavan on Saturday.

AIDWA national vice president Subhashini Ali in her keynote address said: "The government's terminology, like 'Nari Shakti Vandan,' is mere flattery that falls short of providing concrete rights; the current administration is operating under a patriarchal mindset loyal to the Manusmriti rather than the Constitution," said Ali.

Calling women's reservation a standalone right that should have been fulfilled decades ago, she recalled that drafts were prepared as early as 1996 but stalled due ...