33% Reservation For Women To Come Into Effect For 15 Years After Delimitation, Census — Details

Women's Reservation Bill: The 33 per cent women's reservation will come into effect after a delimitation exercise is carried out based on the first census figures published after the Bill is passed.

File Photo of the new Parliament building which witnessed the introduction of the Women's Reservation Bill during its first session.

Source : PTI

The Lok Sabha was adjourned on Tuesday after a historic moment in Indian politics – the introduction of the Women's Reservation Bill. This bill marks the first legislative proposal presented in the newly inaugurated parliamentary complex. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced that the old Parliament building would now be referred to as 'Samvidhan Sadan.' Before adjourning the proceedings, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a speech, urging Members of Parliament to set aside past grievances and embark on a new chapter. He emphasised that their actions in the new Parliament complex should serve as an inspiration to every citizen of the nation.

"Through the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam,' our democracy will be strengthened," Prime Minister Modi remarked as the Lok Sabha convened in the new Parliament building for the first time. He extended his congratulations to "our mothers, sisters, and daughters" and affirmed the government's commitment to turning this bill into law. He urged all members of both Houses to unite in passing the legislation unanimously.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal took the floor to introduce the Constitutional amendment bill, known as the "Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam." This legislation seeks to reserve one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women.

Meghwal, while addressing the assembly, highlighted the transformative potential of the "Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam," stating that the number of women Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha would surge from the current 82 to 181 after the bill's enactment.

Women's Reservation Bill: The key points of the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' are outlined below:

• The bill seeks to introduce reservations for women in various legislative bodies. Article 239AA of the Constitution will witness the insertion of clauses regarding reserved seats for women in the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Similar provisions are proposed for the House of the People (Lok Sabha), State Legislative Assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
  
  
• The reservations for women in the Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, and the Delhi Legislative Assembly will come into effect after a delimitation exercise is carried out based on the first census published after the commencement of the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Act, 2023 through which the Women's quota is being introduced.
  
  
• These reservations will remain in place for a period of fifteen years from that commencement. "We are adding a new clause in Article 334A, through which the period of this women's reservation will be for 15 years, if the period has to be extended then the Parliament will have the right to extend it," Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told the Lok Sabha.

  VIDEO | "The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023 is a very important Bill. We are inserting Article 239AA, through which 33 per cent women will get reservation in the national capital territory (NCT) of Delhi. We are making an amendment in Article… pic.twitter.com/2x8wThxqRU

  — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 19, 2023

• Subject to specific provisions regarding Delhi, Lok Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies, the Act ensures that the rotation of seats reserved for women 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.
  
  
• The Amendment Act will not alter current representations in the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, or the Delhi Legislative Assembly until their dissolution. This transitional phase ensures continuity until the next elections and delimitation exercises.
  
  
• The bill does not include a sub-quota for women from the OBC category.

"While women participate substantively in the Panchayat Raj institutions and municipal bodies, their representation in the State Legislatures as well as in Parliament is still limited. Providing for higher representation of women at State and national level has also been a long pending demand. There have been several efforts to introduce women's reservation in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. The last such attempt was made in 2010, when the Rajya Sabha had passed a Bill for women's reservation, but the same could not be passed in the Lok Sabha," the Amendment Bill stated.

This historic amendment marks a significant stride towards gender parity in India's political landscape, a move aimed at amplifying the voices of women and promoting their participation in the highest decision-making bodies of the nation. The Act reflects India's commitment to gender equality.

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