India’s PM Modi Urges Support for Women’s Reservation Bill, Calls It ‘Historic Opportunity’

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New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called on all Members of Parliament to support the proposed amendments to the Women’s Reservation law, describing it as a ‘historic opportunity’ to strengthen India’s democracy and empower women.

In an article, the Prime Minister said the move goes beyond legislation and reflects the aspirations of millions of women across the country. “To describe this merely as a legislative exercise would be an understatement. It is a reflection of the aspirations of crores of women across India,” he said.

Parliament is set to convene a special three-day session from April 16 to 18 to discuss amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, aimed at implementing women’s reservation in legislative bodies.

The proposed changes would increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816, with 273 seats reserved for women. The reservation will also extend to state assemblies and include provisions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The Prime Minister emphasised that women constitute nearly half of India’s population and have made significant contributions across sectors, including science, business, sports, and the armed forces. However, he noted that their representation in legislative bodies has not matched their role in society.

“Strengthening women’s participation in legislative institutions is an important step towards fulfilling the vision of equality and inclusion,” he said.

Modi added that while past efforts to ensure women’s reservation had not materialised, there has always been broad consensus on the need to enhance women’s representation in governance.

The Women’s Reservation provision was passed through a constitutional amendment in 2023, but its implementation is linked to the delimitation exercise following the Census. The proposed amendments aim to enable its rollout ahead of the 2029 general elections.