The Women’s Reservation Bill, referred to as Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, has been passed by the Lok Sabha. The 128th Constitution Amendment bill got 454 votes in the lower house, and only 2 lawmakers voted against it. The bill comfortably got 2/3rd the vote required for a constitutional amendment.
The two parliamentarians who voted against the bill were AIMIM MPs Asaduddin Owaisi and Imtiaz Jaleel. Owaisi had opposed the bill during the discussion on the bill in the lower house. He opposed it because it does not include specific reservations for Muslim and OBC women, saying it would provide reservations only to “savarna women”.
The bill, when becomes law, will provide one-third reservation to women in the lower house of the parliament, and state assemblies including Delhi. The bill was presented in the Lok Sabha by the government on 19th September, a day after it was cleared by the Union Cabinet.
Historic moment!
— Shandilya Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) September 20, 2023
The passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha is a giant leap towards gender equality in India. Let's celebrate this step towards empowering our women and creating a more inclusive democracy.
मोदी है तो मुमकिन है। pic.twitter.com/FMS2fXzWOJ
The bill has become the first bill to be passed by the Lok Sabha in its new chamber in the new parliament building. “The ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ will ensure more women become members of Parliament, assemblies,” PM Modi said in his first speech in the new Lok Sabha chamber after the bill was tabled.
While the bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha, there will be no reservation for women in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The bill says that it will come into effect only after the delimitation exercise, which will be based on the latest census figures. As the delimitation had been paused till 2026, this means the bill can come into effect only after 2017. It is likely that 2029 Lok Sabha elections will see 33% reserved seats for women.
Once the bill becomes an Act, it will be in force for 15 years. However, the term of the law can be extended. According to law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, the number of women in the lower house will become 181 from current 82 after the law comes into effect.
It is notable that past several governments tried to pass the bill, but unable to do so because of lack of consensus among parties. The bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010, however, as it was not taken up by the Lok Sabha, it had lapsed.
The passage of the bill saw a rare consensus in the Lok Sabha, as almost all parties supported the bill, including the Congress party. Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi spoke in favour of the bill. However, they demanded quota for SCs, STs and OBCs within the bill, and also demanded its immediate implementation.
Home Minister Amit Shah told the house that it is better if a Delimitation Commission decides seats to be reserved for women. He said that if the government prepares the list, and seats like Wayanad and Hyderabad get reserved, politicians like Rahul Gandhi and Asaduddin Owaisi will accuse the govt of playing politics using the bill.
