Cabinet Approves Key Bills to Implement Women’s Reservation and Expand Legislatures

New Delhi, Apr 10 (BNP): In a significant push towards expanding women’s representation in politics, the Union Cabinet has approved key proposals to accelerate the implementation of 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

The move involves amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam along with a new Delimitation Bill. The aim is to bypass delays linked to the next Census by using data from the 2011 Census, allowing the reservation policy to be rolled out sooner.

According to sources, the government is planning a series of legislative steps to delink the reservation from the pending Census exercise, which had earlier been a key condition for its implementation.

The Cabinet has also cleared a proposal to expand the size of legislative bodies. The Delimitation Bill is expected to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies by around 50%, a move aimed at better representation as the population grows. A separate law is likely to address similar changes in Union Territories.

If implemented as planned, the expanded Lok Sabha could come into effect by the 2029 general elections, potentially reshaping India’s political landscape with a larger House and a substantial increase in women lawmakers.

This development marks a crucial step toward operationalizing the long-awaited women’s reservation policy, which has remained pending for years despite broad political consensus.