Cabinet Approves Draft Amendment for Women's Reservation Bill

In a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 8, the draft amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Act (Women's Reservation Act) was approved.

Under the proposal, the number of Lok Sabha seats will increase from the current 543 to 816, of which 273 seats will be reserved for women. The government has extended the Budget Session and called a special parliamentary session from April 16 to 18, during which the bill is likely to be passed.

Once approved by Parliament, the law will come into effect from March 31, 2029, and will be applied for the first time in the Lok Sabha elections held the same year.

According to the proposal, the reservation will be applied on a ‘vertical’ basis, meaning that a portion of the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will also be allocated to women.

PM Modi published an article on his website regarding the bill, stating that the proposed changes to the Women's Reservation Act are not just a legal measure but a reflection of the hopes of millions of women across India.