Women's Reservation Bill 2023

(128th Constitutional Amendment Bill)

Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam
Table of contents
01 Introduction 07 Controversies

Need for the Women’s

02 Reservation bill 08 Conclusion

03 Historical Background
09 Queries

04 Key Features of the bill

05 Political Impact

06 Pros and Cons

 Introduction
The Women's Reservation Bill 2023, known as the 128th Constitutional Amendment Bill or
Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, stands as a pivotal moment in Indian politics. This
presentation will delve into the rich historical context, the tumultuous journey of the bill,
its present status, and the potential ramifications it carries for the political landscape.
Need
• There are 82 women Members of Parliaments
in LS (15.2%) and 31 women in RS(13%).

• While the number has increased significantly

since the 1st Lok Sabha (5%) but is still far
lower than in many countries.

• According to recent UN Women data, Rwanda

(61%), Cuba (53%), Nicaragua (52%) are the
top three countries in women representation.

• Bangladesh (21%) and Pakistan (20%) as well

are ahead of India in case of female
representation.
Historical Background
Pre-Independence Era
• During the Constituent Assembly's deliberations,
only 15 women were among the 299 members, and
all of them opposed it.
Dakshayani Sarojini
Velayudhan Naidu
• The opposition to reservations for women at the time
was grounded in the idealistic belief that women do
not need special consideration, as the focus was on
achieving equality.
Timeline
1 1989
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's government introduced a Constitution
Amendment Bill proposing one-third reservation for women in rural and
urban local bodies. This bill successfully passed in the Lok Sabha but faced
resistance in the Rajya Sabha.

2 1992-1993
The 73rd and 74th Constitution amendments were enacted during the P.V.
Narasimha Rao’s government, providing for 33% reservations in
Panchayats and Municipalities.

3 1996
Under Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, the 81st Amendment Bill was
introduced, seeking one-third reservation for women in the parliament.
A Geeta committee was formed which suggested the parliament extend
reservations for OBCs.
3 1997
Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral made an unsuccessful attempt to
reintroduce the bill, with the OBC reservation issue still unresolved.

4 1998, 1994, 2004

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee attempted to reintroduce the bill,
but the OBC reservation and the Muslim Reservation demand raised by
G.M. Banatwala and Iliyas Azmi were the major issues.

5 2010
Under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh bill was successfully passed in
Rajya Sabha.
Present Status
• The Women's Reservation Bill, as the 128th
Constitutional Amendment, was successfully passed
in both the Lok Sabha on 20 Sept 2023 and the Rajya
Sabha on 21 Sep 2023.

• This legislation marks a pivotal moment in Indian

politics, as it ensures 33% reservation for women in
the Lok Sabha and all State Legislative Assemblies.
Key Features
1.Reservation of Women in the Lower
House
• The Bill provided for inserting Article 330A into the constitution, which borrows Female
from the provisions of Article 330, which provides for the reservation of seats to Candidates: 33%
SCs/STs in the Lok Sabha.

• The Bill provided that reserved seats for women may be allotted by rotation to Male Candidates:
different constituencies in states or Union Territories. 67%

• In the seats reserved for SCs/STs, the Bill sought to provide one-third of the seats to
be reserved for women on a rotational basis.
2. Reservation for Women in State
Legislative Assemblies:
• The Bill introduces Article 332A, which mandates the reservation of seats for women
in every state Legislative Assembly.

• Additionally, one-third of the seats reserved for SCs and STs must be allocated for
women, and one-third of the total seats filled through direct elections to the
Legislative Assemblies shall also be reserved for women.
3. Reservation for Women in NCT of
Delhi(New clause in 239AA):

• Article 239AA to the constitution grants special status to the Union Territory of Delhi
as the national capital about its administrative and legislative functioning.

• Article 239AA(2)(b) was amended by the bill accordingly to add that the laws
framed by parliament shall apply to the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
 4. Commencement of Reservation (New article
-334A)
• The reservation will be effective after the census conducted after the commencement of this Bill has
been published. Based on the census, delimitation will be undertaken to reserve seats for
women.

• The reservation will be provided for a period of 15 years. However, it shall continue till such date
as determined by a law made by Parliament.

Rotation of Seats:
• Seats reserved for women will be rotated after each delimitation, as determined by a law made by
Parliament.
Political Impact
The Women's Reservation Bill, if implemented, has the potential to
revolutionize the political landscape in India. It can lead to increased
participation of women in decision-making, resulting in more inclusive
policies and a more representative democracy.
Pros and Cons
Pros
• Enhanced Women's Representation

• Empowerment of Women
• Diverse Perspectives in Decision-Making

Cons
• Delayed implementation due to the necessity of census and delimitation.
• The current Bill does not provide women’s reservation in the Rajya Sabha
and State Legislative Councils. The Rajya Sabha currently has a lower
representation of women than the Lok Sabha.
• The bill does not account for the reservation of seats for OBC women

• Challenges in Implementation
 Controversies
1 OBC Reservation
Numerous political parties have raised concerns regarding the
absence of OBC reservations in the Women's Reservation Bill.
However, identifying OBC individuals poses a significant
challenge, given the absence of a caste census since 1937 and
the fact that OBC classifications vary from one state to
another.
MP Imtiyaz
Jaleel
2 Religious Reservation Controversy
The issue of religious reservation has also emerged as a controversial
aspect of the Women's Reservation Bill. Some groups argue that seats
should be reserved not only for women but also for women from
religious minorities and other marginalized communities.
MP
Asaduddin
Owaisi
 Conclusion
The 128th Constitution Amendment Act, introduced on 19th
September 2023 has brought up a revolution in Women
Leadership and aims to maintain the diverse perspectives in
the decision – making process. Although Gender Equality aims
at equal distribution of power among Male and Female
Candidates, this bill has provided the basis for further
improvements and analysis of various statistical parameters
and cultural factors etc.
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