Women reservation bill cleared in Lok Sabha, set to be cleared in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi : Lok Sabha gave its nod to the women reservation bill that grants 33 percent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. The bill received massive support in the house with 454 votes in favour. The bill will now be tabled in Rajya Sabha, where it is likely to get the clearance. After which it will be forwarded to President Smt Droupadi Murmu for her assent and made it into a law. It must be noted that the legislation was pending for the last 27 years.

"Delighted at the passage of The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha with such phenomenal support. I thank MPs across Party lines who voted in support of this Bill. The ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ is a historic legislation which will further boost women empowerment and will enable even greater participation of women in our political process", PM Narendra Modi tweeted.

Women across the nation are celebrating the bill but even after it becomes law, the benefits of it can be enjoyed only after 2029.

Clause 334A of the bill states that it will come into effect following the first census conducted after the constitution amendment is passed, to be followed by a delimitation exercise.

The delimitation exercise is likely to occur after the first census conducted post-2026, meaning that the bill will most likely be enacted in the 2029 elections.

Home Minister Amit Shah said in Lok Sabha that "Following the upcoming elections next year, there will be a subsequent census and delimitation exercise. Following these events, one-third of the seats in this house will be occupied by women."