Cabinet Clears Amendment Bill to Implement 33% Quota for Women
The Union Cabinet, on April 8, 2026 approved a draft amendment bill to facilitate the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act by the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The amendment seeks to revise the framework of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam , formally known as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, passed in 2023.
The approved amendment focuses on enabling the early rollout of women’s reservation by removing the procedural delays linked to delimitation. The proposal is going to utilise the 2011 Census data instead of waiting for future census figures, a move that is criticized by many as the data is extremely old and needs to be updated. However, this approach is also expected to accelerate the reservation process, ensuring that women gain representation in legislative bodies sooner than expected.
The Cabinet has also cleared a Delimitation Bill. The proposal reportedly includes increasing the numbers of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 seats, with approximately 273 seats reserved for women, which is about one third of the proposed seats. The expansion aims to accommodate the growing population while ensuring equitable political representation .
Key Features
The approved amendment focuses on enabling the early rollout of women’s reservation by removing the procedural delays linked to delimitation. The proposal is going to utilise the 2011 Census data instead of waiting for future census figures, a move that is criticized by many as the data is extremely old and needs to be updated. However, this approach is also expected to accelerate the reservation process, ensuring that women gain representation in legislative bodies sooner than expected.
The Cabinet has also cleared a Delimitation Bill. The proposal reportedly includes increasing the numbers of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 seats, with approximately 273 seats reserved for women, which is about one third of the proposed seats. The expansion aims to accommodate the growing population while ensuring equitable political representation .
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