Women’s Reservation Act 2023 ‘Comes Into Force’ On April 16; Congress Terms It ‘Bizarre’

New Delhi: The Women’s Reservation Act 2023, which gave a 33 percent quota to women in legislatures, came into force on Thursday, as per a gazette notification issued by the Union Law Ministry. It is, however, not immediately known why the 2023 act was notified with effect from April 16, in the midst of the debate during special sitting of extended Budget Session in Parliament to amend the same law for its implementation in 2029.

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 said. Reservation for women can be implemented after carrying out a delimitation exercise on the basis of the next census, the official added.

The notification read: “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.”

In September 2023, the Parliament had passed the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’, commonly known as the Women’s Reservation Act, in a significant step towards enhancing women’s representation in legislative bodies.

The act provided for the reservation of one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative Assemblies. Under the 2023 law, the reservation would not become enforceable before 2034, as it was tied to the completion of the delimitation exercise post 2027 Census. The three bills currently being debated in the Lok Sabha were introduced by the government to implement the women’s quota in 2029.

Meanwhile, the Congress termed as “absolutely bizarre” the government notifying the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ passed in September 2023, even as amendments to it are being debated and would be up for voting in the Lok Sabha today (April 17).