NEW DELHI: During a special session of Parliament, called in by the President of India, the lower house – Lok Sabha, has passed a women’s quota bill with 454 ‘ayes’ after an eight-hour long debate. Once approved, this bill will pave the way for providing reservations to women, not just in Parliament but also in state legislatures.
The Bill, titled Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, was transferred to the Rajya Sabha for passage during the remainder of the session. As the motive is providing 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha, it would require an amendment to the constitution that too with a special majority (two-thirds majority of the members present and voting and majority of the total membership of the respective house) in both the houses of Parliament. The bill would also require the approval of half of the state assemblies as it also includes a provision for providing reservations for women in state legislative assemblies. Once approved, this would be the 128th amendment to the Constitution of India.
Although the bill passed unanimously in the lower house, two members of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen opposed it, demanding a quota for Muslim and OBC women.
Women’s reservation will continue for a period of 15 years from the date it comes into force. Still, Parliament could extend the reservation period and the seats will be reserved on a rotational basis. However, reservation provision will be implemented only after the completion of the delimitation exercise, based on the population figure of the census, which is due since 2021. Meaning that the reservation provision of the bill cannot be implemented until 2029, even if passed by the Rajya Sabha in the ongoing session.
It is worth noting that the current law does not provide for reservation of seats in Rajya Sabha and state legislative councils.
Witnessing the humungous support accorded to the bill by nearly all members of the lower house of the Parliament, the Prime Minister of India conveyed his happiness through X (formerly known as Twitter). PM said, “I thank MPs across Party lines who voted in support of this Bill. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is a historic legislation which will further boost women’s empowerment and will enable even greater participation of women in our political process.”
Earlier, Amit Shah, Home Minister, Government of India, urged all the members, “Let us rise above partisan politics to give women the respect they deserve. Earlier they have been left disappointed four times by Parliament. Let this bill be passed unanimously.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during the debate, said that the bill is ‘incomplete’ without providing a quota for the Other Backward Class category. He said, “It (Women’s Reservation Bill) is a big step and I am sure everybody – the treasury benches and the Opposition – in this room agrees that this is a very important step for the women of our country. There is one thing, in my view, that makes this bill incomplete. I would like to have seen OBC reservation included into this bill.”