Govt Explores Amending Women's Reservation Bill, Delink Quota From Delimitation

Centre considers delinking women’s reservation quota from delimitation, seeks Opposition input.

The implementation of Women Reservation Bill is contingent on delimitation. 

(Aroop Mishra/ The Quint)

The Union government has initiated informal consultations with Opposition leaders to discuss the possibility of amending the Women’s Reservation Bill, specifically to advance its implementation without waiting for the completion of the delimitation process. The current law, passed in September 2023, ties the reservation of 33% seats for women in legislatures to the completion of the next Census and subsequent delimitation exercise.

According to The Hindu, government sources confirmed that informal messages have been sent to several Opposition leaders to gauge their opinion on removing the requirement to wait for the Census and delimitation before implementing the reservation. The outreach is described as preliminary, with no formal proposals or amendments yet shared.

Section 5 of the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, currently stipulates that women’s reservation will only take effect after the first Census conducted following the Act’s commencement and the subsequent delimitation exercise. The Union Cabinet had previously scheduled the Census in two phases, with population enumeration set for February 2027, but the timeline for delimitation remains unclear as coverage revealed.

During the original parliamentary debate, the main criticism from the Opposition, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, was the linkage of women’s reservation to the Census and delimitation. Kharge argued that these conditions could indefinitely delay the law’s implementation, stating there was no need to “link women’s reservation with Census and delimitation” as details emerged.

“We have sent messages informally on this; nothing formal or even suggestions from our side have been shared. If there is a formal movement on this, it will be shared,” a senior government source was quoted as saying.

Recent political developments have increased the urgency of the issue, with seven states, including Uttar Pradesh, scheduled for assembly elections in 2027. The government’s move to consult Opposition parties comes amid speculation about the potential impact of women’s reservation on upcoming electoral contests following reports.

Women currently constitute 15% of the Lok Sabha and an average of 9% in state assemblies. The government’s outreach is seen as an attempt to address longstanding concerns about women’s representation and to clarify the timeline for implementing the reservation as analysis showed.

“If the government now accelerates implementation, it would break a three-decade-old jinx,” a senior political leader observed, referencing the bill’s long legislative history.

While the government has not yet disclosed the specifics of any proposed amendment, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju indicated that the ongoing Budget Session could see the introduction of significant legislation. He stated that the session would include “one critical Bill,” though he did not confirm whether this referred to the Women’s Reservation Bill at the end of his remarks.

Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.