The Historic 33% Reservation For Women
India took a giant leap towards women's empower- ment when Parliament
achieved an extraordinary feat of almost unanimous clearance of the Constitution
(One Hundred and Twenty- Eighth Amendment) Bill 2023, which sought to provide
33% reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. The Union
Government gave a unique name to the legislation: The Nari Shakti Vandan
Vidheyak (Bill), or Adhinyam (Act), subsequent to the presidential approval.
Lok Sabha passed the Women Reservation Bill, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi met women MPs
after passage of Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament on September 21, 2023.
as it is known in the common parlance, on September 20, 2023, after an
eight-hour debate, with just two of the over 450 members present voting against
it. A day after, Rajya Sabha 'unanimously' passed the Bill on September 21,
2023. Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi met and congratulated female
Parliamentarians following the passage of the Bill.
The Nari Shakti Vandan Vidheyak 2023 was historic, as it was passed
after an arduous legislative journey spanning 27 years. It is bound to usher in
far-reaching change in the country's politics and public life. The impact of
the Bill can be gauged from just one simple fact: the number of women MPs in
the Lok Sabha will jump to at least 180 from the current 82. Additionally, it
intends to elevate the number of female Members of the State Legislative Assemblies
(MLAs) to over 2,000 from the current figure of 740. However, there was another
historicity attached to the Bill. This was the first Bill passed by both Houses
in their first sittings in the new Parliament building, coinciding with the
shifting of operations during a special five-day session on September 19, 2023.
As the President, Ms. Droupadi Murmu, signed the Bill on September 26,
2023, the 33% women reservation in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies was cast in
stone. Union Law & Justice Minister Mr. Arjun Ram Meghwal, who steered the
Bill in Parliament, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "With the approval of
the historic 'Nari Shakti Vandan Act 2023' by President Ms. Droupadi Murmu,
this Bill has become an important law of India." It will be officially
known as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act 2023. The gazette notification
dated September 28, 2023, said: "It shall come into force on such date as
the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette,
appoint."
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Three New Articles & One Clause
The new legislation introduces three new Articles and one new Clause in
the Constitution. These are:
New Article 330A:
Reservations for women in Lok Sabha-1/3rd of seats reserved for
Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STS) shall be reserved for women;
1/3rd of total seats to be filled by direct elections to the Lok Sabha shall be
reserved for women.
New Article 332A:
Reserved seats for women in every State Legislative Assembly-1/3rd of
seats reserved for SCs and STs shall be reserved for women; 1/3rd of total
seats to be filled by direct elections to the Legislative Assemblies shall be
reserved for women.
New Article 334A:
Reservations shall come into effect after delimitation is undertaken
after the relevant figures for the first Census have been published. The
rotation of seats for women shall take effect after each subsequent
delimitation exercise.
New Clause To Article 239AA:
Seats shall be reserved for women in the Delhi Legislative
Assembly-1/3rd of the seats reserved for SCs shall be reserved for women; 1/3rd
of the total number of seats to be filled by direct elections shall be reserved
for women through law determined by Parliament. Here are the main highlights of the Women's
Reservation Act:
Quota Introduction:
The Act gives effect to implementing a 33% reservation for women in Lok
Sabha, the Lower House, and all State Legislative Assemblies. This move aims to
break the long-held barriers to women's political participation and bring
diversified and representative perspectives to the law-making process.
Reserved Seat Adjustment:
The Act mandates that reserved seats should be allocated by rotation to
different constituencies in the general elections. This provision ensures a
fair distribution and change in the reserved constituencies for women after
each election.
Duration of Reservation:
The Act stipulates that the reservation would continue for 15 years from
the commencement of the Act. This timeframe symbolises a transition period for
women to establish a strong foothold in the political field. It can be extended
further by an Act of Parliament.
The Principle of Reservations:
The Act upholds the principle of reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs)
and Scheduled Tribes (STs), thereby ensuring the representation of marginalised
women. District Export
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