Cabinet Clears Amendments To Enable 33% Reservation For Women In Lok Sabha, State Assemblies

Last Updated:April 09, 2026, 13:26 IST

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday greenlit the proposed Constitutional amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (or Women's Reservation Bill) and a Delimitation Bill.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday greenlit the proposed Constitutional amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (or Women’s Reservation Bill) and a Delimitation Bill to expedite 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies by using 2011 Census data, The Indian Express reported, citing sources.

The Cabinet’s move comes ahead of the three-day sitting of Parliament between April 16 and 18. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the special sitting of the Parliament will fast-track the implementation of the bill.

PM Modi stressed the representation for the southern states would not be affected.

What Is Women’s Reservation Bill?

The Women’s Reservation Bill, or the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, sets aside 33 per cent of the total seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women.

The Delimitation Bill, which is learnt to propose an increase of 50 per cent in the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, was also passed by the Union Cabinet, said the Indian Express report.

The proposal aims to increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816, setting aside 273 seats for women, sources said.

It is pertinent to note that the government plans to base the delimitation exercise on the 2011 Census instead of waiting for the 2027 Census, aiming to fast-track the implementation timeline.

News india Cabinet Clears Amendments To Enable 33% Reservation For Women In Lok Sabha, State Assemblies

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