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Women’s reservation bill gets President’s assent
The women’s reservation bill, which seeks to reserve 33% seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, has become a law after receiving assent from President Droupadi Murmu, the law ministry said in a notification on Friday.
The women’s reservation bill, which seeks to reserve 33% seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, has become a law after receiving assent from President Droupadi Murmu, the law ministry said in a notification on Friday.
However, the law will take some time before being implemented as the next census and the subsequent delimitation exercise (or redrawing of Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies) will ascertain the particular seats being earmarked for women.
“It shall come into force on such date as the central government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint,” according to the provision of the law.
The law ministry said that the president gave her assent to the bill, which was passed by Parliament last week, on Thursday.
“The following Act of Parliament (the constitution one hundred and sixth amendment) received the assent of the President on the September 28, 2023,” the notification added.
The law will now officially be known as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act.
Earlier on Thursday, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar signed the women’s reservation bill, also known as the “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam”, to mark its passage by both Houses of Parliament. It was subsequently sent to the president for her approval.
After the president’s assent, the bill which is being deemed as the biggest transformative legislation for gender justice, became the law of the land.
On September 20, the bill was passed by the Lok Sabha with near unanimity during the special session of Parliament. The Rajya Sabha passed it with unanimity on September 21, the last day of the four-day session.
The law proposes to reserve 33% or one-third seats for women in the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and the assembly of Delhi. The law also has a provision of quota within quota for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Anglo-Indian women
