New Delhi/Patna: The Union government is exploring options to implement 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, with discussions underway on bringing a fresh constitutional amendment during the ongoing Budget Session.
The move comes after Parliament passed the landmark women’s reservation law in 2023, formally known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which provides one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. However, the law has not yet been implemented due to conditions linked to a fresh census and delimitation exercise.
Government considering constitutional amendment
Under the current law, the reservation can only come into effect after the next census and the subsequent delimitation of parliamentary and assembly constituencies. With the census expected to be completed by around 2027, the provision would normally take effect only after that process, making implementation before the 2029 general elections difficult.
To overcome this hurdle, the government is considering removing the mandatory linkage with the fresh census and delimitation process. According to sources, the proposal under discussion is to carry out delimitation based on the 2011 census data instead of waiting for the next census.
If the proposal moves forward, the government may introduce a new constitutional amendment bill to enable the change. The current Budget Session of Parliament is scheduled to continue until April 2.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah held consultations on March 23 with leaders of several political parties, including factions of the Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar and the Shiv Sena faction headed by Uddhav Thackeray, along with the Biju Janata Dal, YSR Congress Party and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen. Discussions were also held with other parties to build consensus on the proposed changes.
Opposition had earlier raised similar demand
Several opposition parties, including the Indian National Congress, Trinamool Congress and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, have long demanded that the women’s reservation law be implemented without linking it to census and delimitation.
In March 2025, a Joint Action Committee led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin raised concerns over the delimitation process and called for greater transparency. Southern states have argued that delimitation based on population growth could increase the number of seats in northern and eastern states while reducing their relative share.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also warned that such a process could disadvantage southern states that had successfully implemented population control policies.
Will reservation reduce existing seats or increase them?
It is not yet clear whether the 33 percent reservation will be implemented within the existing number of parliamentary and assembly seats or through an expansion of seats.
According to media reports and policy discussions, the government is considering increasing the total number of seats by around 50 percent to address concerns raised by southern states and to accommodate the reservation without reducing existing representation.
If the current strength of the Lok Sabha remains unchanged at 543 seats, one-third reservation would translate to around 181 seats reserved for women.
However, if the proposed 50 percent expansion formula is adopted, the total number of Lok Sabha seats could rise to around 815. In that scenario, approximately 271 seats would be reserved for women. The new Parliament building already has seating capacity for up to 888 members in the Lok Sabha chamber.
Possible impact on Bihar
If the 50 percent expansion model is implemented, states would also see a significant rise in representation.
At present, Bihar has 40 Lok Sabha seats. With a 50 percent increase, the number could rise to about 60 seats, of which around 20 could be reserved for women.
Similarly, the Bihar Legislative Assembly currently has 243 seats. With the same formula, the strength could increase to around 365 seats. In that case, nearly 121 seats could be reserved for women legislators.
This would mark a significant rise in women’s representation. Bihar currently has five women MPs in the Lok Sabha and 28 women MLAs in the state assembly.
How reserved seats may be decided
The exact mechanism for selecting reserved constituencies has not yet been finalised. However, officials indicate that a lottery-based system could be used to identify seats reserved for women.
These seats would likely rotate in every election cycle so that constituencies do not remain permanently reserved, ensuring equal opportunity for male candidates over time.
Under the proposed framework, the reservation would initially remain in place for 15 years, with the possibility of extension by Parliament. Within seats already reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, one-third would also be reserved for women belonging to those categories. No separate quota has yet been proposed specifically for women from Other Backward Classes.
In addition, the government is reportedly examining the possibility of encouraging political parties to give priority to women candidates even in general seats. If such a provision is adopted, women’s representation in Parliament could rise beyond the mandated 33 percent to as high as 38–40 percent.
Why the government is considering expanding seats
The number of Lok Sabha seats was last fixed at 543 based on the 1971 census, when India’s population was about 55 crore. Today, the population has grown to nearly 145 crore.
Experts say the increase in population has significantly raised the burden on elected representatives. Studies suggest that a single Member of Parliament today represents nearly 20 to 28 lakh citizens on average.
The last delimitation commission was constituted in 2002, but the number of seats remained frozen until 2026 under a constitutional provision intended to encourage population control measures.
Currently, constituency boundaries are adjusted periodically, but the total number of seats has not changed since 1971.
Comparisons with other major democracies also highlight the gap. The United Kingdom, with a population of about 6.7 crore, has 650 parliamentary seats, while France has 577 seats for a population of about 6.5 crore and Germany has more than 730 seats for a population of around 8.3 crore.
The Constitution under Article 81 emphasises the principle of equal representation, while Article 82 provides for readjustment of parliamentary and assembly seats after each census.
With discussions underway and political consultations continuing, the government’s next steps during the current parliamentary session could determine how soon women’s reservation becomes a reality in India’s legislative bodies.
