President Droupadi Murmu gave her consent to Women Reservation Bill

India has taken a significant step towards gender parity as President Droupadi Murmu granted her approval to the groundbreaking Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women Reservation Bill), turning it into a full-fledged law. With this transformative development, 33% of seats in both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies will be earmarked for women. However, the implementation of this reservation will be contingent upon the completion of the upcoming census and the subsequent delimitation process.

In a momentous session of Parliament, the women's reservation bill received unanimous support from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha earlier this month. This achievement holds historical significance, especially as it coincided with the inauguration of the new Parliament building on September 19.

While the bill garnered widespread support, it did not go without its share of debates and dissenting voices. The AIMIM expressed opposition to the women's reservation bill, arguing that it primarily benefits Savarna women, as there is no specific provision for the reservation of seats for Muslim women representatives. Additionally, the Congress party raised concerns about the protracted timeline for implementation following its passage in Parliament, even after receiving the President's approval.

The law's provisions dictate that the reservation of seats for women in the House of the People, the Legislative Assembly of a state, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi shall come into effect after an exercise of delimitation is undertaken for this purpose after the relevant figures for the first census taken after commencement of the Constitution Act, 2023, have been published and shall cease to have effect on the expiration of a period of fifteen years from such commencement. This delineates the pathway for the concrete realization of gender representation in Indian politics, albeit after due processes have been followed.

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