Opinion: Women's reservation and delimitation should be delinked for timely implementation and fairness
This opinion piece argues that the government's linking of women's reservation to delimitation and the Census, through the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill and The Delimitation Bill, is flawed and unnecessary. The author contends that this linkage delays the implementation of women's reservation, which could have been effective from the 2024 elections if the 2010 Bill had been adopted. The current approach, based on the outdated 2011 Census, risks undermining the principle of delimitation based on present population criteria and potentially disadvantages oppressed communities by not reflecting current SC/ST proportions. The author advocates for a stand-alone law for women's reservation, free from these linkages, to ensure democratic norms and rights are upheld.
Key Points
- The author criticizes the government's decision to link women's reservation with delimitation and the Census.
- This linkage is seen as delaying the actual implementation of women's reservation, which could have started earlier.
- Using the 2011 Census for delimitation is problematic as it doesn't reflect current population dynamics, including SC/ST proportions.
- The article advocates for women's reservation to be a stand-alone legislative step, separate from delimitation and census exercises.
- The proposed Bills are viewed as potentially undermining democratic norms and fairness in representation.
Exam Facts
- The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (NSVA) was pushed through in September 2023.
- The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill proposes increasing Parliament seats to 850 with one-third reserved for women.
- The Delimitation Bill, 2026, proposes using the "latest Census figures published" (interpreted as 2011 Census) for redrawing boundaries.
- The 2010 Bill for women's reservation, adopted by Rajya Sabha, had no such linkages.
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