New Delhi [India], March 24 : Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju, urging the Government to convene an All-Party meeting to discuss the proposed amendment to the Nari Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023.
In his letter, Kharge stated that the Government appears to be planning a further amendment to the Constitution Amendment passed in September 2023. He emphasised that all Opposition parties reiterate their demand for an All-Party meeting to deliberate on the proposed changes.
Kharge suggested that, to make the meeting productive, the Government should circulate a note detailing the exact proposals. He further requested that the meeting be held after the current round of Assembly elections concludes on April 29, 2026.
As per the top sources, the Government has planned two major amendments. 2023's Nari Shakti Vandan Act tied women's reservation to the new census and delimitation. Due to census delays, the plan is to proceed with the 2011 census data. The 2011 census is to be the basis for delimitation and seat redistribution. Lok Sabha seats may increase from 543 to 816 post-amendment.
A bill will be introduced in Parliament to amend the Nari Shakti Vandan Act.
A separate Delimitation Bill will be introduced. Both bills need to be passed as Constitutional amendments for women's reservation. The new Lok Sabha is likely to have more than 800 seats. Keeping up with the status quo, there is no provision for OBC reservation, and SC/ST reservation will continue. However, states won't have a role; the bill passed by Parliament will apply to them.
Currently, the Lok Sabha has 543 seats. With a proposed 50% increase, the number of seats will rise to 816, with 273 (about a third) reserved for women.
The government's key point is that they won't wait for a new census to give women, comprising half the country's population, fair representation in Parliament. Instead, delimitation will be done using the 2011 census data.
The Home Minister led a crucial meeting with NDA parliamentary floor leaders, discussing the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Act. Shah has briefed several opposition leaders on the proposed plan. The opposition supports women's reservation, but discussions are ongoing to build consensus on seat distribution and delimitation.
If passed, this bill will be India's biggest democratic shift since independence, giving the country 273 women MPs by 2029. The 2029 general elections will see contests on 816 Lok Sabha seats, changing the majority mark from 272 (for 543 seats) to 409.
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