Women's quota law comes into effect in UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry

Key facts

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notified April 17, 2026, as the date from which women's quota provisions for the Union Territories (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry will come into force.
• The Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, providing one-third seats reservation for women in the House of the People, legislative assemblies of all states, and the UT of Delhi, came into effect on April 16, 2026.
• Reservation for women in the legislative assemblies of Puducherry was enacted via the Govt of Union Territories (Amendment) Act, 2023, and for Jammu and Kashmir via the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Second Amendment) Act.
• The women's reservation will become operative after the first delimitation based on Census 2027, which is scheduled to take place from April 1, 2026, to March 1, 2027.