‘Why delay the vandan?’: Women’s reservation comes full circle as government’s ‘U-turn’ fails in Lok Sabha

The issue of 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislatures has come full circle in less than three years since the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023 — popularly known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam — was passed by Parliament in September 2023.

Clause (1) of Article 334A of the 106th Amendment mandated a three-step process to be done before women’s reservation in the legislature became a reality – the 2023 Act had to come into force, followed by a fresh Census and a delimitation exercise.