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 opposition as “anti‑women”, while opposition parties label the proposals “flawed”.
UPSC Relevance
The issue touches upon GS2: Polity topics such as constitutional amendments, the functioning of the Lok Sabha, and the role of the Delimitation Commission. It also highlights gender‑equity policies, a recurring theme in GS4: Ethics. Understanding the political dynamics of coalition politics and opposition strategy is essential for answer writing.
Way Forward
- Parliament must decide whether to decouple women’s reservation from the pending Census and allow immediate implementation for the 2024 elections.
- A timely completion of the Census and constitution of the Delimitation Commission are required to avoid further delays.
- Stakeholder consensus—government, opposition, and civil‑society groups—should be built to ensure the reservation policy is not perceived as a political bargaining chip.