New Delhi, Apr 14: Terming the Women Reservation Bill the need of the hour, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said everyone should support the historic move, a change “that should certainly take place for the better, without delay”.
In a post on X, Shah said, “Women’s Reservation Bill is the need of the hour. This is the rightful due of our Nari Shakti to contribute to policymaking and empower the nation. The Modi government is resolved to bring and implement this legislation. This is a change that should certainly take place for the better, without delay. I hope everyone will step forward and support this historic move.”
Parliament passed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, commonly known as the Women’s Reservation Act, in September 2023, marking a significant step towards enhancing women’s representation in legislative bodies.
The act provides for the reservation of one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women.
The amendments to the Women’s Reservation Act, when passed, will ensure an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816, of which 273 will be reserved for women.
The provision to provide 33 percent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies was brought by amending the Constitution in 2023.
Under the current law, the reservation for women would not have become enforceable before 2034, as it was tied to the completion of the delimitation exercise post Census 2027.
To implement it from the 2029 Lok Sabha election, changes were needed in the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
Hence, the government is holding a special sitting of Parliament from April 16 to April 18 to pass the amendments to the law.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an article on Tuesday that Parliament will reconvene in the next two days to discuss and hopefully, pass an important constitutional amendment relating to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
