The Union government is planning to implement 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies ahead of the 2029 general election, according to reports.
The Women’s Reservation law, passed in September 2023 as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, mandates that one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies be reserved for women to boost their representation.
However, under the current framework, the quota is not expected to take effect immediately. It is linked to the completion of the Census and the subsequent delimitation process, after which constituencies would be redrawn and any changes in the strength of legislatures accounted for.
To address the likely delay, the Centre is said to be exploring a new approach—separating the women’s reservation rollout from the delimitation requirement through a legal amendment.
If such a change is made, the reservation could be implemented without waiting for constituency redrawing, potentially enabling rollout before 2029. The government is reportedly examining the feasibility of this move.
