Historic Women's Reservation Bill Tabled in Lok Sabha: Six Key Highlights

The Women's Reservation Bill promises 33 percent seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women.

Image used for representation.

(Photo: Harsh Sahani/The Quint)

Camera: Kaustabh, Ribhu Chatterjee

Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

The Women's Reservation Bill, which promises 33 percent seats in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies for women, was tabled in the Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday, 19 September, by Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal. The bill has been titled 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam'.

The bill, if passed, will come into effect after the first delimitation or redrawing of constituencies, which is likely to take place in 2027, as per details of the legislation.

What Are the Key Highlights?

• The bill promises 33 percent or 181 seats for women will be reserved in the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies.

• However, there will be no reservation in either the Rajya Sabha or the state legislative councils.

• The reservation will be in place only for 15 years after the bill becomes an Act.

• The reserved seats/constituencies will be rotated after every delimitation exercise.

• Within seats reserved for SC/STs, one third will be reserved for women within these categories.

'Incomplete Bill, Eyewash': Opposition Reacts To Bill

Opposition parties have varied reactions to it, however.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the government is just making a 'vague promise.'

He asked, "The reservation for women will come into effect only following the first decadal Census conducted AFTER the Women’s Reservation Bill has become an Act. When will this Census take place? The Bill also says the reservation come into effect only after the publication of the next Census and the subsequent delimitation exercise thereafter. Will the Census and delimitation be done before the 2024 elections?"

News agency PTI also quoted Congress leaders as saying that this is a "huge betrayal" of the hopes of crores of Indian women.

Former Parliamentarian Prakash Ambedkar also took to X, formerly Twitter, to say that he had concerns about the Bill. He said,

"This “incomplete” Bill is an eye-wash. It is a political gimmick by the BJP aimed only to sell itself to the women only to exclude them in real sense."