Union Cabinet Clears Constitutional Amendments to Fast-Track 33% Women’s Reservation in Lok Sabha and Assemblies, Proposes 50% Seat Increase
In a major step towards implementing political reservation for women, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a set of proposed Constitutional amendments linked to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, along with a Delimitation Bill aimed at expediting the introduction of 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
According to sources, the government is planning to introduce multiple legislative measures to operationalise the long-pending provision for women’s reservation without waiting for the completion of the next nationwide Census exercise.
Instead, the delimitation of constituencies and allocation of reserved seats are proposed to be carried out based on the 2011 Census data.
The proposed Delimitation Bill, which has also been cleared by the Cabinet, is understood to recommend a 50 per cent increase in the total number of seats in both the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
A separate Bill is expected to be introduced to implement corresponding changes in Union Territories.
Under the proposal, the present strength of the Lok Sabha, which currently stands at 543 elected members, would increase to 816 seats.
Out of these, approximately 273 seats are proposed to be reserved for women, thereby ensuring one-third representation in the Lower House of Parliament.
However, the increase in the number of seats would take effect only from the next general elections scheduled in 2029.
The proposed changes require amendments to key Constitutional provisions that currently cap the strength of legislative bodies.
Articles 81 of the Constitution, which deals with the composition of the Lok Sabha, and 170, which relate to the strength of State Legislative Assemblies, would need to be amended to allow expansion beyond the existing limits of 550 members for the Lok Sabha and 500 members for State Assemblies.
Sources indicated that once the Bills are introduced, a Delimitation Commission is expected to be constituted by June this year.
The Commission will be tasked with redrawing the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on population data from the 2011 Census.
The proposed increase in seats is likely to impact larger states significantly. For instance, the strength of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly could increase from the current 403 seats to more than 600 seats under the new framework.
The government is expected to introduce the proposed Bills during a special sitting of Parliament later this month.
The ongoing Budget Session of Parliament, which was adjourned earlier, is scheduled to reconvene on April 16 and continue until April 18 to deliberate on and potentially pass the legislative measures.
Sources stated that the Cabinet decision was not formally announced publicly, as it is customary for significant policy matters to be placed before Parliament first when the House is in session.
It is learnt that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had held consultations with several Opposition leaders during the Budget Session to discuss the proposal and build consensus on the legislative changes.
During these discussions, the government reportedly conveyed its intention to move ahead with Constitutional amendments using the 2011 Census data, rather than waiting for the next Census, which could delay the implementation of women’s reservation for several years.
The proposal is also seen as addressing concerns raised by various Opposition parties at the time of passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in September 2023.
Several parties had expressed apprehension that linking women’s reservation to the completion of the Census and delimitation exercise could indefinitely postpone the implementation of the law.
Sources indicated that leaders from parties such as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction), and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) participated in discussions with the government.
However, some major Opposition parties, including the Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Trinamool Congress (TMC), and Left parties, did not attend the meeting.
These parties have reportedly demanded that a broader all-party meeting be convened after April 29, once the ongoing Assembly elections conclude.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, after a meeting of Opposition parties excluding the TMC, is learnt to have written to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju requesting the government to circulate a detailed note outlining the proposed amendments and their implications.
Another important aspect of the proposal relates to concerns expressed by southern states regarding the possible redistribution of seats based on population changes after a fresh Census.
According to sources, the government has proposed that the proportion of seats allocated to each state would remain unchanged even after the increase in the total number of seats.
This measure is intended to address apprehensions among southern states that they may lose relative representation due to slower population growth compared to northern states.
The move is being viewed as a significant step towards strengthening women’s political participation and representation in legislative bodies.
If enacted, the proposed amendments would operationalise one of the most important provisions of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam and reshape the composition of legislative institutions across India.
Overall, the proposed legislative changes are expected to have far-reaching implications for electoral representation, political participation of women, and the structure of parliamentary and assembly constituencies across the country.
