Parliament Extends Budget Session for Women's Reservation and Delimitation Bill

Livemint - Politics · 4 Apr 2026 · 2 min read
Prelims · Polity Mains · GS2 Polity and constitution High relevance

The Budget Session of Parliament is likely to be extended to introduce a bill increasing Lok Sabha seats to 816 and implementing 33% women's reservation, marking significant electoral reforms ahead of delimitation.

Key points

Budget Session Extension: The session, scheduled to end on April 2, will reconvene in the third week of April for 2-3 days to discuss the bill, avoiding a sine die adjournment.

Women's Reservation: The bill aims to reserve 273 seats (33%) for women in the Lok Sabha, building on the 2023 Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, which mandated this reservation post-delimitation.

Delimitation Exercise: The increase to 816 seats will use the 2011 census data, not the proposed 2027 census, affecting seat allocation across states and potentially disadvantaging southern states.

Vertical Reservation: Seats will be reserved for SCs and STs within the 33% women's quota, ensuring intersectional representation in line with constitutional mandates.

Legal Framework: The government will table a Constitution amendment bill to tweak the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam and an ordinary bill to amend the Delimitation Act.

Political Consultations: Union Home Minister Amit Shah discussed the plan with NDA allies and some opposition leaders, but Congress and TMC were not consulted, sparking criticism.

[GS2-Federalism] The proposed seat increase has raised concerns about federal balance, with Congress arguing it would disadvantage smaller states in the South, Northeast, and West.

Implementation Timeline: The laws will come into force by March 31, 2029, affecting the next Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls in Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Andhra Pradesh.

Way Forward: The government should ensure equitable seat distribution through transparent delimitation criteria, engage in bipartisan consultations to address federal concerns, and expedite the census to provide updated demographic data for future revisions.

Key terms

Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam

The Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, mandates 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. It requires delimitation for implementation, reflecting India's commitment to gender parity in political representation, a key UPSC topic under GS2 (Governance and Social Justice).

Delimitation Act

A legislative framework for redrawing parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on population data. The upcoming amendment will increase Lok Sabha seats to 816, impacting federal dynamics and representation fairness, relevant for GS2 (Polity) and GS2 (Federalism).

Sine Die Adjournment

The termination of a parliamentary session without a fixed date for reconvening. The current session's extension highlights procedural flexibility in legislative scheduling, a key aspect of parliamentary functioning under GS2 (Polity).

Vertical Reservation

A system where quotas for SCs, STs, and OBCs are applied within broader categories like gender. This ensures layered representation, crucial for understanding India's affirmative action framework in GS2 (Social Justice).