Women's Reservation Bill Becomes Law After President Droupadi Murmu's Assent

The government of India on Friday issued a gazette notification for the Women's Reservation Bill after it received the assent of President Droupadi Murmu

The government of India has issued a gazette notification for the Women's Reservation Bill after it received the assent of President Droupadi Murmu. The President on Thursday granted her assent to the groundbreaking Women's Reservation Bill which seeks to allocate 33 per cent of seats to women in both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. It has now been designated as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act. The Ministry of Law and Justice notified that "The following Act of Parliament received the assent of the President on the 28th September, 2023 and is hereby published for general information."

Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar also endorsed the Women's Reservation Bill on Thursday, following its near-unanimous passage in the Lok Sabha and unanimous approval in the Rajya Sabha earlier this month. This was the first legislation to be passed in the new parliament building with cross-party support during a five-day special session.

Notably, the actual implementation of the bill will require some time. The next census and subsequent delimitation exercise will determine the precise number of seats designated for women candidates. This process will take place for both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, not only introduces reservations for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies but also amends Article 239AA of the Constitution to incorporate clauses regarding reserved seats for women in the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

The bill's provisions ensure that reservations for women will come into effect after the delimitation exercise based on the first census conducted following the enactment of the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Act, 2023. This reservation will be in effect for a period of fifteen years, as specified in the newly introduced Article 334A.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal had elaborated on this aspect in the Lok Sabha, highlighting that Parliament would possess the authority to extend the reservation period if necessary.

Regarding the rotation of reserved seats, the Act stipulates that it will occur after each subsequent delimitation exercise, as determined by Parliament. These changes will not affect existing representations until the dissolution of the respective legislative bodies.

Notably, due to the provision on delimitation exercise, Opposition parties including the Congress accused the government of indulging in another "jumla" to score a political advantage in the 2024 Lok Sabha Election as the quota will not be implemented in the upcoming polls.

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