Centre Mulls Fast-Tracking Women’s Reservation
Government exploring amendment to implement 33% quota before 2029 Lok Sabha elections
- Centre considering amendment to expedite women’s reservation in Parliament
- Proposal may decouple quota from census and delimitation process
- Aim is to implement 33% reservation before 2029 Lok Sabha elections
- Government engaging political parties to build consensus
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 10th March: The Centre is exploring options to accelerate the implementation of 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislative assemblies, with a possible constitutional amendment expected during the ongoing Parliament session, sources said.
The move is aimed at ensuring that the quota becomes operational in time for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, passed in 2023, provides for one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. However, the law linked the implementation of the quota to the completion of the next census and the subsequent delimitation exercise.
Officials say the government is now examining the possibility of decoupling the reservation from the census and delimitation process, which could otherwise delay implementation.
The Union Cabinet approved the two-phase digital census in December 2025, but the process of population enumeration and the formation of a delimitation commission could take several years.
According to current estimates, the census exercise may not be completed until March 2027, and the process of redrawing constituency boundaries could take additional time.
If the reservation remains tied to delimitation, its implementation may be pushed beyond the 2029 general elections.
To avoid such delays, the government is reportedly evaluating a legislative amendment that would allow the women’s quota to take effect independently of the delimitation timeline.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju recently indicated that the government may introduce an important bill during the ongoing session of Parliament, although he did not disclose specific details.
The development comes amid long-standing criticism from opposition parties, which had earlier argued that linking the reservation to the census and delimitation process could postpone its implementation.
Sources said the government has begun consultations with various political parties to assess support for the proposed changes and build consensus for the amendment.
The proposed step, if approved, could accelerate the rollout of women’s reservation and mark a major milestone in expanding women’s political representation in India.
