"This is a momentous development in the long journey of empowering our women," he said at the end of a lively debate on the bill that reserves a third of all seats in parliament and state assemblies for women.

"The bill is a historic step forward, a giant step forward in strengthening the process of emancipation (of women)," he said, drawing thunderous applause.

Speaking extempore, Manmohan Singh said that despite the many progress achieved by women in India, "we have also to recognise that ... our women have faced enormous difficulties..."

"Our women faced discrimination at home, there is domestic violence, they face discrimination in equal access to education, healthcare, there are all these things. All these things have to end if India were to realise its full potential."

Sonia happy

On the women's reservation bill, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said she is grateful to all the political parties who helped the bill to pass, including the Left, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) "and our coalition partners... I am very happy."

Speaking to NDTV's Barkha Dutt, Gandhi hoped that "those who did not support us will understand" over time the need for the bill, which now needs to get past the Lok Sabha.

She was particularly surprised about Trinamool Congress' abstention, especially since its leader Mamata Banerjee was "enthusiastic" about supporting it when the cabinet discussed it.

Gandhi, who is also chairman of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), said she was watching the parliament proceedings from her home and she felt happy the bill was passed after a lively discussion.

Earlier the Upper House took a decisive step by passing a historic bill giving one-third representation to women in parliament and state legislatures, crossing the biggest hurdle in the road towards political empowerment for women in the world's largest democracy.

The 13-year perilous political struggle to give women adequate representation ended with the Rajya Sabha finally debating the contentious issue and then voting 186-1 on the Constitution (One Hundred and Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2008 amid acrimony, political divides and ugly scenes of dissent.

The reserved seats would be allotted by rotation to different constituencies and would be valid for 15 years after the commencement of the Amendment Act.