However, it remains unclear why the 2023 act was notified to take effect from April 16, during ongoing discussions in Parliament regarding amendments for its implementation in 2029.
The notification stated: ”In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, the Central Government hereby designates the 16th day of April, 2026 as the date from which the provisions of the said Act shall become effective.” In September 2023, Parliament approved the ’Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’, widely known as the Women’s Reservation Act, marking a significant move towards increasing women’s representation in legislative assemblies.
The act mandates the reservation of one-third of the seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
According to the 2023 law, this reservation will not be enforceable until 2034, as it is contingent upon the completion of the delimitation exercise following the 2027 Census.
The three bills currently under discussion in the Lok Sabha were introduced by the government to facilitate the implementation of the women’s quota by 2029.
Meanwhile, officials have indicated that even though the act is in effect, the reservation cannot be applied in the current House until a delimitation exercise is conducted based on the next census.
