The topic of women's reservation in India's legislative bodies has been a topic of discussion for nearly three decades. A proposed Women's Reservation Bill that has been hanging fire for several years aims to reserve one-third of all seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women. The allocation of these reserved seats would be determined by an authority prescribed by Parliament.
The history of the bill dates back to 1996 when it was first introduced in the Lok Sabha as the 81st Amendment Bill by then Prime Minister Deve Gowda-led United Front government. However, it failed to gain approval and lapsed with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha. The bill was reintroduced several times but failed to receive majority votes each time.
In 2010, the bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with 186-1 votes under the leadership of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. However, it was never considered in the Lok Sabha and lapsed again with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha.
As of September 2023, there is talk that the bill will be brought into the Lok Sabha.
Following an interview with the parliamentary affairs minister, speculation has arisen regarding the possibility of a special session of parliament as the monsoon session has not been officially prorogued. The leader of opposition in the upper house has written to the prime minister requesting an all-party meeting to allow opposition parties, state governments, and political stakeholders to examine the delimitation proposal before any legislative action is taken. The discussion highlights that a parliamentary session can be reconvened when not prorogued. Furthermore, details emerged regarding the implementation of women's reservation in parliament, known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhinayam. The government clarified that women's reservation is constitutionally tied to the delimitation process, which will be conducted based on the census available after 2026. Consequently, opposition leaders continue to seek clarity on the timeline for delimitation and the potential summoning of a parliamentary session.
The Congress party has intensified its attack on the central government over the delay in implementing the women's reservation bill. Although the law was passed by Parliament and received presidential assent in September 2023, the government did not notify it for over two and a half years. The party questioned the decision to link the quota to the census and delimitation process, claiming it delays implementation until at least 2034. During a recent meeting, the party passed a resolution demanding immediate notification of the law, freezing the Lok Sabha seats at 543 and reserving one-third of them for female representatives without further delay.
A political confrontation has erupted between the opposition and the ruling party over women's rights, ancient scriptures, and patriarchal mindsets. The dispute intensified following remarks citing ancient texts to criticize societal attitudes toward women and demanding an end to patriarchy. The ruling party launched a counterattack, questioning the opposition's stance on the women's reservation law and accusing them of opposing legislation aimed at granting thirty-three percent reservation to women in parliament. Leaders from the ruling party challenged the opposition to support the immediate implementation of the law to enhance female representation in governance. Furthermore, arguments were raised regarding women's safety, equality, and the need to dismantle discriminatory mindsets. In response, opposition representatives defended their record on women leadership while accusing the ruling party of creating internal rifts. The debate highlights ongoing political friction surrounding female empowerment, legislative representation, and societal reform.
A political showdown over Nari Shakti has erupted between the BJP and the Congress following remarks by Rahul Gandhi at the Chhatro Ki Goonj event in Pune, where he accused the BJP of denying women empowerment. In response, BJP leader Smriti Irani challenged Rahul Gandhi and urged him to support the 33 percent women's reservation bill. Smriti Irani highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to all political parties to cooperate in implementing women's leadership in Parliament. The BJP has questioned why opposition parties, including Congress, are not backing the bill despite speaking on women's empowerment, raising the prospect of the issue becoming a key bone of contention.
The Monsoon Session of Parliament will begin next week, and the stage is set for another high-voltage political showdown.
The government is confident of securing support for the Delimitation Bill ahead of the upcoming parliament session, according to sources.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed the Lok Sabha on the Women's Reservation Bill, urged the opposition not to politicise the women's reservation bill and assured that the proposed legislation will not lead to any injustice or discrimination against any state.
The stage is set for a special three-day parliament session from tomorrow on women's reservation and delimitation of constituencies.
A political showdown is brewing in the national capital over the government's proposal to implement a thirty-three per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies from the twenty-twenty-nine elections.
After facing backlash over his "lipstick, bob-cut remark" on the women's reservation bill, senior Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui defended his statement saying he spoke in a language meant for rural women.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday praised the women's reservation bill but called it a "distraction and diversion tactic from the demand for a caste census".
The Rajya Sabha on Thursday unanimously passed the women's reservation bill granting reservation to women on one-third seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the passage of the women's quota bill in the Rajya Sabha and said it will usher in an era of stronger representation and empowerment for the women of India.
In an exclusive interview with India Today, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who opposed the women's reservation bill in Lok Sabha, said the bill is anti-OBC women, anti-Muslim women.
A day after the women's reservation bill was passed in Lok Saha with 454 members supporting it and two opposing it, watch as BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi and TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar debate on the bill.
The Women's Reservation Bill suggests that this reservation will continue for 15 years.
The women's reservation bill was passed in the Lok Sabha with an overwhelming majority.
Watch as senior BJP leader Uma Bharti talks about why she wants OBC quota in the women's reservation bill.
Expressing support for the women's reservation bill, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi batted for its immediate implementation and said that the legislation is "incomplete" without provision for quota for OBCs.
