THE HEADLINES:
Special sitting of Parliament with focus on Women’s Reservation and Delimitation begins; Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak in Lok Sabha this afternoon.
Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026’, Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026’ and Delimitation Bill, 2026’ introduced in Lok Sabha.
Prime Minister holds delegation-level talks with Austrian Chancellor Dr Christian Stocker in New Delhi to boost trade and investment between the two countries.
First phase of Census 2027 for the Houselisting and Housing Census commences across multiple States and Union Territories.
In Andhra Pradesh, eight people killed in road accident in Kurnool district this morning.
And in IPL cricket, Mumbai Indians to take on Punjab Kings in Mumbai this evening.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak in the Lok Sabha at around 3 pm on the Women’s Reservation Bill. The extended Budget Session commenced today with the three-day special sitting. Three key bills, the Constitution (131st) Amendment Bill, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 have been taken up for consideration in the Lok Sabha after a division of votes over their introduction.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that reservation for women in legislative bodies is the need of the hour to make Indian democracy more vibrant and participative. He had said that any delay in bringing this reservation will be deeply unfortunate.
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Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal introduced the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill, 2026 in Lok Sabha today. Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the House.
Introducing the Bills, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal termed the day as historic saying the government is working to give political justice to women. He said the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, will ensure equality for women. Quoting Dr BR Ambedkar, Mr Meghwal stressed that the progress of a community is measured by the degree of progress which women have achieved. He said the time has come for the reservation of 33 percent seats. The Law Minister said that to implement a uniform and legally consistent distribution of reserved seats for women across the country, it would be necessary to increase the total number of seats in the Lok Sabha by 50 percent over the current strength. He added that with such an increase, the new strength of the Lok Sabha would be 815 members. He said that out of these, 272 seats would be reserved for women, which comes in addition to the existing allocation. Mr Meghwal said that this formula ensures that no group suffers any loss, and the relative strength of each state will remain unchanged in the future.
The Law Minister said that the results of Census 2027 are not expected to be available before the end of 2027 or the beginning of 2028. He informed that, therefore, the 2011 Census will be used for the readjustment or division of territorial constituencies and for the allocation of seats to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. He said this has also been clearly stated in the objectives of the Bill.
Opening the discussion on the Bills for the Opposition, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said his party is in favour of women’s reservation, but it should be simplified and not linked with delimitation. He said the reservation should be based on the existing 543 seats in the Lok Sabha. He alleged that the government is creating unnecessary delays in implementing the women’s reservation and urged the government to bring it into force immediately. The discussion is underway.
Earlier, the Opposition members in the Lok Sabha had pressed for a division against the move to introduce the bills. After use of vote slips, Speaker Om Birla announced that there were 251 AYEs and 185 NOEs.
Congress MP KC Venugopal had opposed the introduction of the Bills, alleging that these will undermine the federal structure of the country. Home Minister Amit Shah strongly rebutted that Mr Venugopal can raise only technical objections to the introductions of the Bill but cannot speak on the merits of bills.
Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav questioned the necessity to bring the Bills in such a hurried manner, saying that Census should be done first. Home Minister Amit Shah replied that the process of Census has begun and the government has already taken the decision to conduct the caste census.
TMC’s Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar opposed the introduction of the Bills saying women’s reservation is being made dependent on future delimitation exercise.
When the House assembled, Lok Sabha paid tribute to legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle, who passed away in Mumbai, at the age of 92.
The House also paid Obituary references to the passing away of its Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury, Mohsina Kidwai and Hari Narayan Rajbhar. Members of the House also observed silence as a mark of respect to the memory of the departed.
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BJP MP in Rajya Sabha, Medha Kulkarni has said that this is a historic moment for the new Parliament, as the Women’s Reservation Bill ensures women’s power in developing India. She thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the whole nation and women are supporting it.
BJP MP Sandhya Ray said this is a historic day for women’s empowerment in the country. Speaking to media outside the Parliament House Complex, Ms Ray noted that the country’s feminine power will get the opportunity to be represented in the 2029 elections. She also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of the country’s maternal power.
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BJP MP in the Lok Sabha, Jagdambika Pal has said that India is the Mother of Democracy, and in that Mother of Democracy, women’s representation will be 33 per cent in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Talking exclusively to Akashvani News, Mr Pal alleged that opposition parties are misleading the country over the Delimitation Bill, and noted that a delimitation commission will be formed and it will be proportionate to the states.
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On the Women’s Reservation Bill, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that it is a historic bill for women. Talking to reporters at the Parliament premises, the minister termed it a revolutionary bill in the history of the country. He said after its implementation, women will get equal opportunities in democracy.
Samajwadi Party Leader Akhilesh Yadav clarified that he is not against the idea of reserving seats for women in the legislature. Speaking to reporters outside parliament, he expressed concern over the manner in which the delimitation bill is being introduced.
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The Lok Sabha today hailed India’s milestone in its nuclear energy programme as the indigenously designed and built Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu attained criticality. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said this is a significant achievement in India’s journey of scientific progress and technological self-reliance. The Lok Sabha Speaker said, this historic milestone has given a boost to the Nuclear Energy Mission and strengthened India’s global commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. He said India remains fully committed to clean energy, and nuclear power is a reliable source of 24X7 low-carbon electricity.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held talks with Austrian Chancellor Dr. Christian Stocker in New Delhi today. During the meeting, India and Austria exchanged several agreements and documents including an MOU on Food Safety, a Letter of Intent (LOI) on Cooperation and Military Matters, and an LOI on Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism. Addressing the Joint Press Briefing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India and Austria have been reliable partners in infrastructure, innovation and sustainability. Mr Modi also said that his visit will boost trade and investment between the two countries.
Prime Minister Modi said that India, with its speed and scale combined with Austria’s expertise will ensure reliable technology for the world.
Austrian Chancellor Dr Christian Stocker termed his visit to India as a milestone for Austria-India relations. He said the diplomatic relation between Austria and India is much stronger than ever before.
Earlier today, Mr Stocker and his wife Gerda Stocker Legenstein laid a wreath paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.
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The field operations for the Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) in the first phase of Census 2027 have commenced across multiple States and Union Territories today. The exercise is underway in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha and Sikkim, along with NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board areas in the national capital from today. The exercise will be carried out over a 30-day period till the 15th of next month, during which trained Enumerators will undertake house-to-house visits for data collection. A report;
According to the Home Ministry, the Census is being conducted using digital tools for the first time, marking a significant step towards modernising Census operations. During the Houselisting phase, Enumerators will collect information on housing conditions, household details, amenities and assets through a structured questionnaire comprising 33 questions, forming the foundation for evidence-based planning and welfare programmes.The Ministry further informed that the Self-Enumeration facility will also be rolled out in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh today, with field operations scheduled until 1st to 30th of the next month. Further, in Bihar, the Self-Enumeration period will commence from 17th of this month and continue till May 1, followed by house-to-house operations from May 2 to May 31. The Ministry emphasised that all data collected under the Census Act, 1948 remains strictly confidential and is used solely for statistical and developmental purposes, urging residents to extend full cooperation to Enumerators. With Bhanu, Ankit Kumar Akashvani News Delhi.
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In Andhra Pradesh, eight people were killed and several others injured in a road accident in Kurnool district in the early hours of the day. President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed grief over the loss of lives.
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In IPL cricket, Today, Mumbai Indians will take on Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai at 7:30 PM.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
Special sitting of Parliament with focus on Women’s Reservation and Delimitation begins; Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak in Lok Sabha this afternoon.
Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026’, Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026’ and Delimitation Bill, 2026’ introduced in Lok Sabha
Prime Minister holds delegation-level talks with Austrian Chancellor Dr Christian Stocker in New Delhi to boost trade and investment between the two countries.
First phase of Census 2027 for the Houselisting and Housing Census commences across multiple States and Union Territories.
In Andhra Pradesh, eight people killed in road accident in Kurnool district this morning.
And in IPL cricket, Mumbai Indians to take on Punjab Kings in Mumbai this evening.
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