“Today’s introduction of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha marks a historic moment in our nation’s journey towards gender equality and women’s empowerment. It is a giant leap towards a more inclusive and representative democracy.”
The Women’s Reservation Bill, aiming to secure a 33 percent quota for women in both Lok Sabha and state assemblies, has been introduced in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing special session of Parliament. Today, September 19, is being hailed as a momentous day as Prime Minister Narendra Modi urges bipartisan support for the long-pending ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam,’ a bill that has lingered unresolved for nearly three decades.
Addressing the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Modi emphasized the significance of this occasion within the new Parliament building, marking the initiation of parliamentary proceedings that will open new pathways for women’s empowerment. PM Modi announced the government’s commitment to “bring an important constitutional amendment bill,” reinforcing their dedication to women-led development.
“This ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ will further bolster our democracy,” said PM Modi. He urged lawmakers to rally behind the bill, highlighting the extensive debates in the past regarding women’s reservation in politics. “We want more and more women to participate in the country’s development process,” he added before Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal presented the bill to lawmakers.
Despite women constituting nearly half of the country’s 950 million registered voters, their representation in Parliament stands at a mere 15 percent, with approximately 10 percent in state legislatures.
Once approved, the bill will elevate the number of women MPs in Lok Sabha from the current 82 to 181, as stated by Minister Meghwal.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury credited his party for championing the women’s quota bill, highlighting the consistent efforts of past Congress governments under leaders like Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao, and Manmohan Singh to pass this bill.
However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah countered this claim by stating that the bill had already lapsed.
Key Highlights of the Women’s Reservation Bill (Constitution One Hundred and Twenty Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023:
- New Clause in 239AA: Reserves seats for women in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, allocates 1/3rd of SC reserved seats for women, and designates 1/3rd of seats filled by direct elections for women through legislation determined by parliament.
- New Article – 330A: Introduces reservation for women in Lok Sabha, allocating 1/3rd of seats reserved for SCs and STs for women and designating 1/3rd of total seats filled by direct elections to Lok Sabha for women.
- New Article – 332A: Reserves seats for women in every state Legislative Assembly, allocating 1/3rd of SC and ST reserved seats for women and designating 1/3rd of total seats filled by direct elections to the Legislative Assembly for women.
- New Article – 334A: Specifies that reservation shall take effect after delimitation is undertaken following the publication of relevant figures from the first census. It also outlines the rotation of seats for women after each subsequent delimitation exercise.
This historic bill has a long and tumultuous legislative journey, dating back to its initial introduction in the Lok Sabha in 1996 under the Deve Gowda-led United Front government. Despite various attempts in subsequent years, including during the tenure of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government, the bill failed to garner sufficient support.
In 2008, during the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government, the bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010, yet it was never taken up for consideration in the Lok Sabha, ultimately lapsing with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014.
