What Changes Are Coming to the Women's Reservation Act? Key Details Revealed!

Cabinet Approves Women's Reservation Act Amendments

New Delhi: On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet reportedly approved a draft bill aimed at amending the Women's Reservation Act, which will increase the total number of Lok Sabha seats to 816, with 273 of those designated for women. This change is set to take effect during the general elections in 2029.

Sources familiar with the matter indicated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Cabinet meeting where the draft bill for the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, commonly referred to as the Women's Reservation Act, was sanctioned.

The government has also extended the current budget session of Parliament, planning a special three-day session from April 16 to 18, during which the amendment bill is anticipated to be passed.

Originally, the provision for 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies was introduced through a constitutional amendment in 2023, but its implementation was contingent upon the completion of a delimitation exercise based on the 2027 Census. Consequently, it was projected to be enacted only in 2034 if the existing law remained unchanged.

The proposed changes will see the Lok Sabha's seats rise from 543 to 816, with 273 seats specifically reserved for women. This reservation will also be allocated vertically, including seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

The redistricting of constituencies will utilize the 2011 Census data instead of the anticipated 2027 Census.

A similar process will be applied to state assemblies, where seats will be reserved proportionally.

The amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam will be enacted through a constitutional amendment bill, while a separate ordinary bill will modify the Delimitation Act.

Once the Parliament approves these proposed laws, they will take effect on March 31, 2029, facilitating reserved seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections in states like Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Andhra Pradesh.

During an election rally in Kerala on April 4, Prime Minister Modi emphasized that the NDA government has established a 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies through legislation in 2023.

He urged all political parties to support this initiative, framing it as a matter of women's empowerment, and encouraged them to collaborate in gaining the trust of the nation's mothers and sisters.

In September 2023, President Droupadi Murmu granted her approval to the Nari Shakti Vandan Bill.

This legislation is officially recognized as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act.