For 33% quota for women, LS seats to be increased to up to 850

PTI

New Delhi

Lok Sabha seats will be increased to up to 850 from the current 543 to “operationalise” the women’s reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls following a delimitation exercise to be carried out on the basis of last published census. According to the draft Constitution amendment bill, which will be introduced and expected to be passed in the upcoming special sitting of Parliament, seats would also be increased in state and Union territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.

The seats reserved for women in Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies “shall be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a state or Union territory,” the bill circulated among Lok Sabha members said.

Besides other provisions, the bill seeks to amend Article 81 of the Constitution.

It states that “The House of the People (Lok Sabha) shall consist of not more than 815 members chosen by direct election from territorial constituencies in the states; and not more than 35 members to represent the Union territories, chosen in such manner as Parliament may by law provide.”

As of now figures of 2011 Census are available. The 2027 Census exercise, which began on April 1, is ongoing.

The government plans to bring a Constitution amendment bill, a bill on delimitation law and an enabling bill to apply the proposed law in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry – three Union territories with legislature – on Thursday in Lok Sabha to fast track implementation of the women’s reservation Act of 2023.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said this week that  amendments to the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ should be passed in the three-day special sittings of Parliament, beginning April 16, and “any further delay will be unfortunate and a gross injustice to the women of India”.

“Our democracy will become stronger and more vibrant if the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and various Assembly elections that year are held with women’s reservation fully in place,” he said.

According to the statement of objects and reasons of the draft Constitution amendment bill, “The next census and the consequential delimitation exercise thereafter will take considerable time and thus, delay the effective and dedicated participation of women in our democratic polity.

“Hence, the objective of the proposed bill is to operationalise one-third reservation for women, including women belonging to the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes, in the House of the People and the legislative assemblies of the states, the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union territories through delimitation exercise to be undertaken on the basis of the population figures of the latest published census.”

The reservation of seats for women in Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies will end after 15 years from the commencement of the women’s reservation law of 2023 unless Parliament extends the period for “such further time as it may specify in this behalf”.