Women's Reservation Bill: Historical Context and Implementation Challenges

Indian Express - Opinion · 12 Apr 2026 · 2 min read
Prelims · Polity Mains · GS2 Polity and constitution High relevance

The Women's Reservation Bill, passed in 2023 as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, aims to reserve 33% of seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies, but faces delays due to census and delimitation issues, with political parties showing limited commitment to women's representation.

Key points

Historical Context: The demand for women's reservation dates back to the national movement, with figures like Begum Shah Nawaz and Sarojini Naidu advocating for equality without preferential treatment in 1931.

Constitutional Assembly Debates: Women's reservation was discussed but deemed unnecessary as equal rights were guaranteed under the Constitution, yet representation remained low, with only 5% women MPs in 1951 and 14% in 2024.

Committee on the Status of Women in India (CSWI): The 1974 'Towards Equality' report highlighted declining sex ratios and marginalised economic status, influencing gender equality policies.

73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments: Passed in 1992/1993, these amendments reserved one-third of seats for women in local bodies, leading to over 14.5 lakh women representatives today.

Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023: The Bill was passed unanimously but implementation is delayed until 2029 due to pending census and delimitation, raising questions about political intent.

Current Representation: In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, only 14.4% of state parties' and 11.8% of national parties' candidates were women, with 27.6% constituencies having zero women candidates.

[GS2-Governance] The low representation of women in politics underscores systemic barriers and the need for institutional reforms to ensure gender parity in democratic processes.

Political Dynamics: The BJP's timing of the Bill, just before the 2024 elections, and its delayed implementation have sparked criticism, with opposition parties demanding transparency and consensus-building.

Way Forward: Expedite the census and delimitation processes, ensure political parties adhere to the spirit of the Bill by fielding more women candidates, and establish monitoring mechanisms to track progress in women's representation.

Key terms

Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam

The Women's Reservation Bill passed in 2023, reserving 33% of seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies. Its significance lies in addressing gender disparity in political representation, though delayed implementation raises concerns about political will.

73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments

Landmark amendments in 1992/1993 that mandated one-third reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies, transforming grassroots democracy and empowering over 14.5 lakh women representatives.

Committee on the Status of Women in India (CSWI)

A 1971 committee that produced the 'Towards Equality' report, exposing systemic gender inequalities and shaping India's gender policy framework, influencing subsequent reservations and welfare measures.

Delimitation

The process of redrawing electoral constituency boundaries based on population data, crucial for implementing the Women's Reservation Bill but delayed due to pending census, impacting its timely execution.