Women’s Reservation Act Comes into Force Amid Ongoing Parliamentary Debate
Women’s Reservation Act Comes into Force Amid Ongoing Parliamentary Debate
Government notifies 33% quota law for women, but implementation likely to be delayed until after delimitation
The Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, which provides 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative bodies, officially came into force on April 16, 2026, following a notification issued by the Union Law Ministry.
The move comes at a time when Parliament is actively debating amendments to enable the implementation of the same law by 2029. However, officials have not clearly explained why the Act was brought into effect now, with one source citing “technicalities” behind the timing.
Despite the notification, the reservation will not be लागू immediately in the current Lok Sabha. According to officials, the quota for women can only be implemented after a fresh delimitation exercise, which will be conducted based on the next national Census.
The official notification stated that the provisions of the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 would come into force from April 16, 2026.
Passed in September 2023, the law—popularly known as the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’—was seen as a major step toward increasing women’s participation in politics. It mandates one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
However, under the original framework, the reservation was expected to be implemented only after the delimitation process following the Census, which could delay its rollout until around 2034.
To fast-track the process, the government has introduced new bills in Parliament aiming to make the women’s quota effective by 2029.
