Explainer: Women's Reservation Bill – All you need to know
New Delhi: The Indian government has introduced the 128th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2023, aimed at providing 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament) and all state Legislative Assemblies. includes reserving one-third of seats allocated for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) and an equivalent proportion of seats in the general category.
Implementation Timeline:
The law, if passed, is expected to come into effect by 2029. According to the Bill's provisions, the reservation of seats will be implemented after the completion of the delimitation exercise based on the first Census conducted after the Bill's passage. The next Census is anticipated in 2027. Delays in Census activities were experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The reservation quota mentioned in the Women's Reservation Bill pertains to a government-mandated allocation of a certain percentage of seats or positions for a specific group or category within legislative bodies. In this case, the Bill focuses on reserving seats for women within the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies.
33% Reservation for Women:
The Bill proposes a reservation of 33% of the total seats in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India's Parliament) and all state Legislative Assemblies for women. This means that one-third of the seats in these legislative bodies would be exclusively allocated to women candidates.
Reservation for SC/ST Women:
The reservation quota extends to seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). This implies that within the reserved seats for SC and ST categories, one-third will be reserved for women belonging to these communities.
Reservation in the General Category:
Additionally, the Bill aims to reserve one-third of seats in the general category for women candidates. These are seats that are not specifically designated for SC or ST candidates. The term "as nearly as possible" is used to indicate that the allocation will be made as closely as possible to one-third of the total general category seats.
Duration of Reservation:
The Bill stipulates that the reservation of seats for women will be applicable for 15 years from the commencement of the Act. However, Parliament has the authority to extend this duration further if deemed necessary.
Exclusions:
Importantly, the reservation quota does not apply to the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Parliament) or state Legislative Councils. The focus of the Bill is on the directly elected lower house (Lok Sabha) and lower houses of state legislatures (Legislative Assemblies).
Absence of OBC Reservation:
Notably, the Bill does not include a reservation provision for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). This omission is because no such legislative provision currently exists for OBC reservation in these legislative bodies. The absence of OBC reservation in the Bill has been a point of contention, with parties like the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) opposing the women's reservation Bill on these grounds for several years.
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Operation Sindoor: India carries out military strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan, PoK
New Delhi (PTI): Retaliating against the Pahalgam terror attack two weeks ago, Indian armed forces on early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including in Bahawalpur, a stronghold of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The military strikes were carried out under Operation Sindoor, the defence ministry said in a statement at 1.44 am. It said the actions by the Indian armed forces were "focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature".
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the Indian missile strikes an "act of war" and said his country has every right to give a "befitting reply".
The Indian statement said, "A little while ago, the Indian Armed forces launched 'Operation Sindoor' hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed."
"No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution," it said.
Sources added that the strikes on all nine targets were successful and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was monitoring Operation Sindoor closely.
Among the nine sites targeted are the JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba's in Muridke, both in Pakistan Punjab, officials said.
India's actions come two weeks after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that triggered widespread outrage in India and abroad.
"These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered," the defence ministry statement said.
"We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable," it said.
In a post on 'X' in Hindi shortly after the strikes, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Long live Mother India!" (Bharat Mata Ki Jai)".
"Justice is Served," the Indian Army said in its post.
Pakistan Army spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said missile strikes were fired by India at Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Bahawalpur.
Some time ago, India launched air strikes in in Bahwalpur's Ahmed East area, Kotli and Muzaffarabad at three places from the air, he told ARY News channel.
"All of our air force jets are airborne. This cowardly and shameful attack was carried out from within India's airspace. They were never allowed to come and intrude into the space of Pakistan," he said.
"Let me say it unequivocally: Pakistan will respond to this at a time and place of its own choosing. This heinous provocation will not go unanswered," he added.
Sources in the Indian military establishment said all air defence units have been put on alert along the frontier with Pakistan.
Following the operation, India reached out to several leading countries, including the US, Russia, the UK, UAE and Saudi Arabia and briefed them about the military strike on the nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir, the sources said.
"Senior Indian officials have spoken to their counterparts in a number of countries to brief them on the steps taken by India," said a source.
The operation came days after Modi gave the armed forces full freedom to respond to the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass, the prime minister on April 29 gave the armed forces "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Modi also emphasised the national resolve to deal a "crushing blow to terrorism".
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju tweets, "#OperationSindoor"
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2025
(Video Source: Kiren Rijiju/X) pic.twitter.com/kdBY2xeHqN
#WATCH | Visuals from an undisclosed location in J&K as the Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.… pic.twitter.com/3D20pDXkND
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2025
