Women Reservation Act Comes Into Force Ahead of LS Debate on Amendment

NEW DELHI, Apr 17: The Women Reservation Act, 2023, which provides 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures, was brought into force on Thursday ahead of Parliament’s discussion on proposed amendments to enable its implementation.

An official said the notification was necessary as the proposed amendment could not take effect unless the parent law was formally operationalised. Although the Constitution amendment Bill had been passed and turned into law, it was not enforced as it had not been brought into force.

The official explained that without the law coming into force, its amendment could not be implemented, which led to its operationalisation with effect from April 16.

The Act was notified from April 16 amid ongoing parliamentary debate on amendments aimed at enabling its implementation from 2029. Another official cited “technical reasons” for the move, without further clarification.

While the law has come into force, officials clarified that the reservation cannot be applied in the current Lok Sabha. Implementation will take place only after a delimitation exercise based on the next Census.

The notification stated: “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, the Central Government hereby appoints the 16th day of April, 2026 as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force.”

Passed by Parliament in September 2023 as the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’, the law marks a major step towards enhancing women’s representation in legislatures.

The Act provides for one-third reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, but its implementation is linked to a delimitation exercise after the post-2027 Census.

Three related bills — the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 — are currently under discussion in the Lok Sabha to enable implementation of the quota by 2029. (Agencies)