Padma Shri Dancer Gulabo Hails PM Modi's Push for Women's Reservation

Her remarks come ahead of the special Parliament sitting scheduled from April 16 to 18, where key changes to the Nari Shakti Adhiniyamare are expected to be discussed.

Speaking to ANI, Gulabo expressed optimism about the impact of the legislation.

"It feels very good that PM Modi is doing so much for women. He has always encouraged women. I received the Padma Shri in the year 2016, with the blessings of PM Modi. PM Modi has always worked for the development of women, and he will keep doing that," she said.

"This Bill is going to make women doubly empowered and encourage them to pursue their dreams in the field of politics and others," the Padma Shri awardee added.

The upcoming special session of Parliament is set to focus on amendments to the Women's Reservation Act, originally passed in 2023. The Act provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

However, its implementation earlier was linked to the completion of a fresh Census and subsequent delimitation exercise. With delays in conducting the Census, the Centre is now considering moving ahead with delimitation based on the 2011 Census data.

The proposed amendments are expected to increase the total number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to around 816, with nearly one-third reserved for women. A separate Delimitation Bill is also likely to be introduced, both requiring Constitutional amendments.

Earlier on Saturday, PM Modi, in a letter to floor leaders of all political parties, urged collective support for the implementation of the legislation, calling it a "historic step" for strengthening women's participation in governance. He emphasised that empowering women is essential for India's progress and urged parties to rise above political differences.

- ANI