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Women's Reservation May Come Early Via 2011 Census Data, Lok Sabha Seats To Rise

The government plans to introduce amendment bills to implement the Women's Reservation Act ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, using 2011 census data due to delays in the new census. The proposal includes increasing the total number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816, requiring a separate Delimitation Bill and constitutional amendments. While NDA MPs have welcomed the move as a sign of the Prime Minister's commitment to women's empowerment, opposition MPs from parties like the Samajwadi Party and Shiv Sena (UBT) say they await crucial details on the implementation mechanism. The plan aims to bypass the long wait for a new census, which would otherwise push the reservation's implementation to around 2034.

Key Points: Early Women's Reservation Plan: 2011 Census, 816 Lok Sabha Seats

  • Use 2011 census for delimitation
  • Increase Lok Sabha seats to 816
  • Target implementation by 2029
  • Requires Constitutional amendments
3 min read

NDA MPs welcome proposed bills for early implementation of women's reservation, Opposition leaders seek details

Govt plans bills to implement women's quota by 2029 using 2011 census data, increasing Lok Sabha seats to 816. NDA welcomes, Opposition seeks details.

"Prime Minister is committed to women's development and self-determination. - Dharmshila Gupta"

New Delhi, March 24

MPs from the ruling National Democratic Alliance have welcomed the government's plans to bring amendment bills for the implementation of the Women's Reservation Act ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, while the opposition MPs said that they were not aware of the details of the proposal.

According to sources, the Government has planned amendments in the Nari Shakti Vandan Act.

Due to census delays, the plan is to proceed with the 2011 census data. The 2011 census is expected to be the basis for delimitation and seat redistribution. Sources said the proposal is to increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816. A separate Delimitation Bill is also expected to be introduced. Both bills need to be passed as Constitutional amendments for women's reservation.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dharmshila Gupta said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to women's empowerment.

"I would like to express my gratitude to PM Modi... The Prime Minister always says that women are the backbone of the nation... In 2023, he gave 33% reservation for women's empowerment. Today, talks about 50% reservation are happening. Prime Minister is committed to women's development and self-determination," she told ANI.

Samajwadi Party MP Virendra Singh said they are awaiting details of the bill.

"We are all waiting for this bill to come. We earlier also supported this, and we are still supporting this... so this women's empowerment will get some ground reality," Virendra Singh said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant said they were not aware how the government intends to implement reservation for women.

"It is a very important bill... Everyone has supported women's reservation... as far as it is concerned, they have taken some new measures to implement it. When will the census end? The census will start in 2026. It will go till 2027-28. After that, when will the reservation be implemented? In 2034. Now, they are thinking that instead of waiting so much, the government wants to implement the reservation in 2029," he told ANI.

"They have thought that the number of seats in the Lok Sabha should be increased. If it is 548 or 542, then we can increase it to 816. In the same way, 50% of the seats of every state will be increased... They have made an effort in that. We are not able to find out the details of how it will be done, how the reservation will be done, how the schedule will be done, or how the schedule of the tribe will be done. So, we have to discuss the details about that," he added.

JD(U) MP Lovely Anand welcomed the proposed bills.

"The Women's Reservation Bill is a welcome step... Women of our country have always ruled the country... Whether it is the Central Government or the Bihar Government, everyone understands that our country cannot prosper until women come forward," she said.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

A
Arjun K
Increasing Lok Sabha seats to 816 is a massive change. While women's reservation is needed, we must also discuss how this delimitation will affect state representation. Southern states might lose out. The details are crucial.
S
Sarah B
As an observer, it's interesting to see cross-party support for women's empowerment in India. The commitment to 50% reservation is ambitious. Hope the implementation is transparent and benefits women from all backgrounds.
R
Rohit P
Good move by the government. PM Modi has consistently worked for women's welfare - from Ujjwala to Beti Bachao. Early implementation before 2029 shows commitment. Opposition should support constructively instead of just asking for details.
K
Kavya N
The opposition's concern is valid. How will reservation within reservation for SC/ST women work with this new delimitation? We need clarity. Empowerment should be inclusive, not just for a few.
V
Vikram M
Using 2011 data is a practical solution given the census delays. The focus should be on getting more women into Parliament. Our mothers and sisters deserve equal representation. Jai Hind!
M
Michael C
The constitutional amendment process for this will be fascinating to follow. Dou

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