The Women's Reservation Bill, known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, was successfully passed in the Lok Sabha on September 20, marking a historic moment.
The bill aims to provide 33 percent reservation for women in both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, promoting gender equality in Indian politics.
Key features of the Women’s Reservation Bill include 33 percent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, including within seats reserved for SC and ST.
The bill proposes that the reservation will continue for 15 years, with seats reserved for women rotating after each delimitation exercise.
The history of the Women’s Reservation Bill dates back to the insertion of articles 243D and 243T in the Constitution in 1992, providing reservation for women in Panchayats and Municipalities.
Subsequent attempts to pass the bill in Lok Sabha, such as the Constitution (81st Amendment) Bill, 1996, and the Constitution (84th Amendment) Bill, 1998, faced challenges and lapsed.
The bill was reintroduced as the Constitution (85th Amendment) Bill, 1999, but lack of consensus among political parties led to its abandonment.
In 2010, the bill was passed in Rajya Sabha but lapsed in Lok Sabha due to dissolution.
The implementation of the bill is subject to delimitation exercises, and it may not be enforced before 2029.