"Women's Reservation Bill: A Path Towards Gender Equality in Indian Politics"

Introduction: In a significant move toward achieving gender equality in Indian politics, the Women's Reservation Bill has been a topic of discussion and debate for decades. This article delves into the main features of the bill, its historical journey, potential impact, and the challenges it faces on the path to becoming law.

Main Features of the Women's Reservation Bill: The Women's Reservation Bill proposes the following key features:

1. 33% Reservation: The bill advocates for a 33% reservation for women in both the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies, including the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
2. Reservation Within SC and ST Seats: Similar reservation will also be provided within the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).
3. 15-Year Reservation: The bill suggests that this reservation will be in effect for a period of 15 years.
4. Seat Rotation: Seats reserved for women will be rotated after each delimitation exercise.

The Historical Journey: The push for gender equality in politics dates back to the early 1990s. The Constitution was amended with the 73rd and 74th Amendments in 1992, providing reservation for women in Panchayats and Municipalities. The next significant step was the introduction of the Constitution (81st Amendment) Bill, 1996, which aimed to reserve at least one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. However, this bill lapsed with the dissolution of the 11th Lok Sabha.

Subsequent attempts, including the Constitution (84th Amendment) Bill, 1998, and the Constitution (85th Amendment) Bill, 1999, faced challenges and could not progress due to a lack of consensus among political parties. It was only in 2010 that the bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha but couldn't make it through the Lok Sabha.

Impact on Women in Politics: Currently, the Lok Sabha comprises 14.39% female members out of a total of 542. The average number of women MLAs in State Assemblies stands at only 8%. If the bill becomes law, both the Lok Sabha and State/Union Territory assemblies will witness a rise in female representation, with the most dramatic increase expected at the State/UT level.

Implementation Timeline: The bill outlines that the reservation provisions will come into effect after a delimitation exercise following the first census taken after the commencement of the Constitution (128th Amendment) Act 2023. As of now, there is uncertainty about the completion of the 2021 Census. According to existing law, the next delimitation exercise may occur after the first census post-2026. Hence, implementation may not happen before 2029.

Challenges in Passing the Bill: Constitution Amendment Bills require a special majority in both Houses of Parliament. Given the majority of political parties' support for the bill, passing it shouldn't be a major hurdle. The same applies to all states and the Union Territory of Delhi.

Conclusion: The Women's Reservation Bill holds the promise of bringing about a significant change in the representation of women in Indian politics. While its historical journey has seen challenges, the bill represents a crucial step toward achieving gender equality in a domain where women's participation has long been underrepresented. Its successful passage into law would mark a historic moment for Indian democracy.