The Women’s Quota Bill will be in effect for 15 years after it becomes law
New Delhi:
The Women’s Reservation Bill is on the verge of becoming law, after nearly three decades of stagnation and disagreement. However, the 33 percent quota for women in Parliament and state legislatures, as promised by the proposed law, may only come into effect in 2029, NDTV has learnt.
The quota will only be implemented after the first delimitation or redistricting of constituencies after the bill becomes law, according to details exclusively accessed by NDTV.
The constituencies will only be reconstituted after the next census, which is likely to take place in 2027. The census was last due to be held in 2021 but was postponed due to Covid.
The bill will be in effect for 15 years after it becomes law, but its term may be extended.
Importantly, the seats reserved for women will be rotated after each delimitation exercise.
The six-page bill says that one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and assemblies will be reserved for women and will be filled through direct election. Also, the quota will not be applicable to Rajya Sabha or state legislative councils. Within the quota, one-third of the seats will be earmarked for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The bill does not provide for reservation for OBCs (Other Backward Class) as there is no such provision before the legislature. This was the demand over which parties like the Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) opposed the women’s quota law for decades.
The bill is similar to the Women’s Reservation Bill that was drafted in 2010 when the Manmohan Singh-led Congress government was in power. Only two amendments to introduce quotas for the Anglo-Indian community have been deleted in the new version.
The provisions of the law on women’s quota will come into force upon delimitation or redrawing of constituencies after “the relevant figures for the first census conducted after the coming into force of the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth Amendment) Act 2023 have been published” and will cease to exist . The bill will come into effect 15 years after its entry into force.
In fact, the new bill is an enabling provision, a step forward, but the demarcation law will require a separate bill and notification.
“Subject to the provisions of Articles 239A, 330A and 332A, the seats reserved for women in the House of the People, the Legislative Assembly of a State and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Del. shall continue to exist until the date which Parliament may determine. determined by law,” the bill says.
The statement of objectives and reasons states that the bill seeks greater participation of women as public representatives in policymaking at state and national levels.
Currently, women make up only 14 percent of parliament and legislatures in India, which is much lower than the world average.
