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The Women’s Reservation Act 2023 has officially come into force from April 16, according to a notification issued by the Union Law Ministry. The law provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.

However, it remains unknown why the 2023 act was notified from April 16 despite the ongoing debate in Parliament regarding its implementation in 2029.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, the Central Government hereby appoints the 16th day of April, 2026 as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force," the notification stated.

The legislation, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, was passed by Parliament in September 2023 as a major step towards increasing women’s representation in legislatures.

Why It Cannot Be Implemented Yet

Despite the law coming into force, its provisions cannot be implemented immediately as a result of which the reservation will not apply to the current Lok Sabha or state Assemblies.

An official cited "technicalities" for bringing the law into force without elaborating. Though the act has come into force, the reservation cannot be implemented in the current House, the official told news agency PTI.

The rollout of the reservation is tied to the completion of the next Census and a subsequent delimitation exercise. Only after constituencies are redrawn based on updated population data can the quota be applied.

Officials indicated that this process is expected after the 2027 Census, pushing actual implementation further down the timeline.

Implementation Timeline Under Debate

Under the original framework of the 2023 law, the reservation would not become enforceable before 2034. However, the government is currently pushing for amendments to enable implementation by 2029.

The matter is being debated in the Lok Sabha, with three bills introduced to advance the timeline for applying the women’s quota in legislatures.

For now, while the law is formally in effect, it does not change the composition of existing legislative bodies. The impact will only be visible once the necessary administrative and constitutional steps, particularly delimitation, are completed.