Pivotal Legal Initiative: Women’s Reservation Bill Introduced in Lok Sabha

In a momentous development in Indian politics, the Women’s Reservation Bill, which seeks to provide a 33 percent quota for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared September 19 as a “historic day” and urged all members of the opposition to unanimously support the Bill, known as the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam,’ which has been pending for nearly three decades.

The Prime Minister emphasized the significance of this occasion, stating, “On this historic occasion in the new Parliament building, as the first proceeding of the House, the beginning of all the Parliamentarians opening gateways for women power is being done with this crucial decision.” He further announced his government’s commitment to bringing forth an important constitutional amendment bill, advancing the cause of women-led development.

The ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ is poised to further strengthen India’s democracy, with provisions designed to address the longstanding issue of gender disparity in political representation. While women constitute nearly half of the country’s 950 million registered voters, their presence in parliament stands at just 15 percent, with state legislatures showing an even lower representation of around 10 percent.

Once approved, the Women’s Reservation Bill will significantly increase the number of women Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Lok Sabha, rising from the current 82 to 181, as highlighted by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

Acknowledging the historical context of this legislation, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury credited his party for their consistent efforts to push for the women’s quota bill. He noted, “Former Congress governments under Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao, and Manmohan Singh had consistently tried to pass the bill to provide reservation for women.” However, it was pointed out that the bill, which had been passed in the Rajya Sabha during the Congress regime under Manmohan Singh, was still pending.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah countered this claim, stating that the bill had already lapsed, highlighting the complexity surrounding the legislative process.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, introducing three new articles and one new clause in the Constitution, is the driving force behind this transformative change:

A new clause in 239AA mandates the reservation of seats for women in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, reserving 1/3rd of seats for SCs for women, and stipulating that 1/3rd of the total number of seats to be filled by direct elections shall be reserved for women through a law determined by parliament.

A new Article – 330A establishes reservation for women in the Lok Sabha, reserving 1/3rd of seats for SCs and STs for women, and designates 1/3rd of total seats to be filled by direct elections to the Lok Sabha for women.

A new Article – 332A mandates reserved seats for women in every state Legislative Assembly, with 1/3rd of seats reserved for SCs and STs for women, and designates 1/3rd of total seats to be filled by direct elections to the Legislative Assembly for women.

A new Article – 334A ensures that reservation shall come into effect after the delimitation is undertaken following the publication of the relevant figures from the first census. It also establishes the rotation of seats for women following each subsequent exercise of delimitation.

The Women’s Reservation Bill is poised to be a landmark achievement in the pursuit of gender equality and empowerment in India’s political landscape. It reflects a significant step toward addressing gender disparity and ensuring that women’s voices are heard and represented in the highest legislative bodies.