NEW DELHI: Days after Parliament passed the Women’s Reservation Bill, President Droupadi Murmu on Friday gave her assent to the legislation, making it a law. The law provides for 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.
Though it was introduced as the Constitution (128th) Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, it will now be known as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, as some proposed constitutional amendments are yet to be passed by Parliament.
“It shall come into force on such date as the Central government may, by notification in the official gazette, appoint,” read the Law Ministry notification. However, the reservation will be implemented after the next census and the subsequent delimitation exercise—redrawing of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies—and is therefore unlikely to be implemented in the 2024 elections.
The delimitation exercise scheduled after 2026 will determine the seats that are to be reserved for women. According to the law, the quota for women in the Lok Sabha and assemblies will continue for 15 years, and Parliament can later extend the benefit period. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha last week in a special session of Parliament, marking it as a historic achievement.