Centre Prepares for Women’s Reservation Bill

The central government is actively preparing to implement 33% reservation for women by the time of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. As part of this effort, it is likely to introduce two key bills in the current Parliament session. If implemented, the total number of Lok Sabha seats may increase from 543 to 816, with around 273 seats reserved for women. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already held discussions with NDA and non Congress opposition leaders to build consensus on the proposal.

Although the Women’s Reservation Act was passed in 2023 as the 106th Constitutional Amendment, its implementation was initially linked to a fresh census. The government is now considering using the 2011 census data to expedite constituency delimitation and avoid delays. The proposed bills aim to amend the existing law and the delimitation process, but their passage will require a two-thirds majority in Parliament, prompting the government to seek opposition support.