After receiving approval in a special session of Parliament, President Droupadi Murmu granted her assent to the Women’s Reservation Bill on Thursday, 28 September. This development was communicated via a notification from the Law Ministry issued on Friday, 29 September.
The legislation will now be officially known as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act. According to its provisions, “It shall come into force on such date as the central government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.”
The Bill, which received overwhelming support with 454 members voting in favor, aims to reserve one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, including Union Territories (UTs), for women.
According to Indian Express, the provision for women’s representation in the Lok Sabha and assemblies will remain in force for a period of 15 years, with the possibility of extension by Parliament.
While the law includes provisions for the reservation of seats for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) women, the opposition had also advocated for extending similar benefits to Other Backward Classes.
However, it is pertinent to note that the newly enacted law is expected to be implemented only after a fresh census and delimitation process. Consequently, the women’s reservation policy is unlikely to be in effect for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Home Minister Amit Shah has indicated that the census and delimitation procedures will commence shortly after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, with the reservation for women anticipated to take effect after the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Disclaimer: This news article, written by Mokokchung Times, is original but incorporates inputs from other sources as cited.