Women's Reservation and Delimitation: Political Dynamics and Implementation Challenges
Parliament passed the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, reserving one-third of seats for women in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas, but its implementation is deferred until after the next Census and delimitation. The government now plans to amend the Act, basing delimitation on the 2011 Census and potentially expanding Lok Sabha seats by 50% (from 543 to 816). This approach, while framed as expediting implementation, raises concerns about representational balance due to demographic shifts, potential north-south divide, and the use of outdated 2011 Census data, impacting fairness and political dynamics.
Key Points
- The Women's Reservation Act (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) defers implementation until post-Census and delimitation.
- The government proposes to use the 2011 Census for delimitation and expand Lok Sabha seats by 50%.
- Concerns exist regarding the impact of outdated data and seat expansion on north-south representational balance.
- The timing of implementation is seen as a strategic political move to claim credit and mobilize women voters.
Exam Facts
- Act: Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam).
- Reservation: One-third of seats for women in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas.
- Proposed Lok Sabha expansion: From 543 to 816 seats (50% increase).
- Census data for delimitation: 2011 Census.
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