The broader objective is to boost women’s representation across Parliament and state legislatures, reflecting the shared aspirations of multiple parties and leaders.

A top government push to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, aims to reserve one-third of parliamentary and state legislative seats for women, with ministers urging broad cross-party backing.

The bill previously passed both Houses in 2023 with wide cross-party backing, and the push now is to implement it before the 2029 elections to avoid delays in women’s representation.

A three-day special parliamentary session from mid-April will primarily focus on advancing the Women’s Reservation Amendment Bill, with party leaders expressing widespread support ahead of the session.

Two major amendments are anticipated to accompany the bill: one tied to census and delimitation using the 2011 census data due to delays in the current census, and another linked to the 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan Act to address related issues.

Discussions will also cover the Women’s Protection Bill and related amendments, with expectations that consensus will improve measures before Parliament passes the bill.

Delimitation would proceed using 2011 census data to redistribute seats and ensure women’s representation, with a mechanism to move forward without waiting for a new census.

The Bill envisions increasing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816, with one-third reserved for women and existing SC/ST reservations retained; states do not have a separate role as the bill applies nationwide.

Prime Minister Modi urged floor leaders to back the bill, framing the issue as transcending party lines for the sake of empowerment.

Rijiju noted extensive consultations with a broad slate of opposition and regional parties, signaling wide engagement across the political spectrum.

Prime Minister Modi underscored the goal of passing the amendment by the 2029 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to empower women for future generations.