India Enacts Historic Women’s Reservation Bill
In a historic move, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, has given her assent to the Women’s Reservation Bill, officially enacting it into law as the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act of 2023. This momentous development paves the way for greater gender diversity in the Indian political landscape.
One-Third of Seats Reserved
Under this newly enacted law, one-third of the seats in both the Parliament and State legislative assemblies will be reserved for women. Notably, this reservation will also extend to seats that were previously earmarked for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, marking a significant stride toward equitable representation.
The Path to Enactment
The Vice-President of India and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankar, formally signed the bill, a pivotal step that preceded its submission to the President for her official assent.
Union Minister of State for Law & Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, introduced the bill in the Lok Sabha on September 19, setting the stage for this transformative legislative journey.
The Rajya Sabha unanimously passed the bill on the same day, September 19, with overwhelming support. It’s worth noting that while the bill enjoyed broad consensus, Members of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi and Imtiaz Jaleel from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) expressed their dissent.
Subsequently, the Lok Sabha passed the bill on September 20, with a resounding majority of 452 votes in favor and only 2 against. The deliberations surrounding the bill extended for nearly eight hours, underscoring the significance of this legislative milestone.
[Read Notification of Presidential Assent] –
