New Delhi (TIP)- Parliament on Thursday, September 21, approved the 106th amendment to the Constitution to reserve a third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures for women, a landmark endorsement of a decades-long crusade that was unsuccessful on at least six occasions over nearly three decades.
A day after the 128th Constitutional (Amendment) Bill was cleared by the Lok Sabha with a 454-2 voting tally, all of the Rajya Sabha’s 214 voting members supported the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, with no one opposing or abstaining after the House spent 11 hours debating the matter.
However, just like in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, members voiced support but added caveats and raised questions around the timing and the manner in which the measure will be implemented.
“All members and political parties have played a significant role in empowering women and enhancing nari shakti. Let us give the country a strong message,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the moments before voting, making an unexpected appearance in the House.
The bill will now require President Droupadi Murmu’s signature and at least 50% of the states to approve the amendment to the Constitution. Both appear to be just a formality. Following the vote, both Houses were adjourned sine die, or until a next parliament sitting is called, ending the special session a day early. It was also a historic occasion as the women’s reservation bill became the first piece of legislation to be cleared in the new Parliament building, which was opened for legislative business for the first time during the ongoing special session. The bill, which will apply to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and the Delhi legislative assembly, inserted quotas for women within the existing quantum of seats set aside for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. It will come into effect after delimitation — an exercise comprising revision of seat numbers and redrawing of constituency boundaries — which can only happen after 2026 (according to a 2001 Constitution amendment), and after the relevant census figures are published. The decennial census was scheduled to be conducted in 2021 but was delayed by the government due to the pandemic. There is no clarity on when the exercise is likely to be held. After the vote, Modi said in a post on X that the Rajya Sabha vote reflected a “defining moment in our nation’s democratic journey“.
“I thank all the Rajya Sabha MPs who voted for the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. Such unanimous support is indeed gladdening. With the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in Parliament, we usher in an era of stronger representation and empowerment for the women of India. This is not merely a legislation; it is a tribute to the countless women who have made our nation,” he said.
Union home minister Amit Shah said: “Where there is a will there is a way.”
“A historic milestone was achieved today on the path of equitable governance as the Rajya Sabha has passed the women’s reservation bill. By fulfilling a long-pending demand, PM @narendramodi Ji has sent a powerful message of gender equality and inclusive governance across the world,” he said in a post on X.