Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Amendments Approved to Reserve 273 Lok Sabha Seats

Key facts

• The Union Cabinet approved a draft amendment bill to operationalise the Women’s Reservation Act, aiming for implementation by the 2029 general elections.
• The proposed amendment modifies the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
• Under the new proposal, the total number of Lok Sabha seats is expected to increase from 543 to 816.
• A total of 273 seats, which is approximately 33% of the proposed total, will be reserved for women.
• The reservation will follow a vertical quota system to ensure representation within Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) categories.
• The government plans to conduct the delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census instead of waiting for the 2027 Census.
• A special three-day sitting of Parliament has been scheduled from 16 April to 18 April for the introduction and passage of the amendment bill.