Top News

News India Live, Digital Desk: There has been a big and historic turning point regarding the participation of half the population in the country’s politics. The government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has played a ‘master stroke’ to make the Nari Shakti Vandan Act (2023) effective. The 2023 Act has been officially notified through a special gazette notification issued on 16 April 2026. The main objective of this step is to pave the way for 33% reservation for women in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, regarding which the round of amendments has now started in the Parliament. 2029 vs 2034: Where was the problem? When this law was passed in 2023, a condition was added in it that reservation will be implemented only when the new census is completed. Delimitation will be done on the basis of that census. The work should be completed. Since the new census was getting delayed, experts believed that this law would not be implemented before 2034. But the government is now adamant on implementing it only in 2029. The government’s new strategy: ‘Aadhaar’ of 2011 census. The government has adopted a new legal process to reduce this time limit: Implementing the law: The old law was implemented first on 16 April 2026, because amendment is possible only in the applicable law. Amendment Bill: Now the government has introduced the amendment in the Lok Sabha so that instead of waiting for the new census, Only the 2011 census can be made the basis of delimitation. 850 Lok Sabha seats: If this amendment is passed, then after delimitation, the number of Lok Sabha seats can increase to 850, out of which about 280 seats will be reserved for women. What will happen if the bill fails? If this new amendment is not passed in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha, then the government will have to follow the basic provisions of the old law that came into effect on April 16, 2026. Will have to do. In such a situation: The new census and subsequent delimitation will take at least 4 years. The result will be that the 2029 elections will be held on the old pattern and women’s reservation will have to wait till 2034. Opposition’s attack: ‘Completely strange decision’ Congress has expressed strong objection to this haste and process of the government. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh described it as “completely bizarre”. The opposition argues that voting on the bill and issuing notification even before the approval of Parliament is against democratic norms. Congress has called it an attempt to take electoral advantage. Nari Shakti Vandan Act: Journey till now Date Events 19 September 2023 Bill introduced in Lok Sabha. 20-21 September 2023 Passed by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha with an overwhelming majority. 16 April 2026 Notification issued by the government to implement the law. Future (Proposed) Delimitation on the basis of 2011 census and in 2029 Applicable.