The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will debate two landmark bills aimed at operationalising the constitutional mandate of reserving one‑third of seats for women in Parliament and State Assemblies.
Key Developments
- The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill seeks to raise the total seats in Parliament to 850, with one‑third reserved for women, subject to a fresh delimitation.
- The Delimitation Bill, 2026 proposes a Delimitation Commission using the 2011 Census.
- Earlier, in September 2023, the government passed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (NSVA), instead of the original women’s reservation bill that had cleared the Rajya Sabha in 2010.
- The opposition warned that tying reservation to a delayed Census and delimitation would deny women the right to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and subsequent Assembly polls.
Important Facts
- Current Lok Sabha strength: 543 seats; the amendment proposes an increase to 850.
- The Constitution already mandates a one‑third reservation for women, but implementation has been stalled since 2010.
- The last Census used for delimitation was conducted in 2011; a new Census has not been completed as of 2026.
- The government’s narrative frames