The Lok Sabha will today resume discussion on the three bills, namely the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 for consideration and passing. The three legislations are intended to increase the participation of women in the Lok Sabha and the assemblies of States and Union Territories.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, popularly known as Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, provided for the reservation of nearly one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the legislative assemblies. The objective of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was to ensure greater participation of women in the democratic polity. These three bills have been brought to facilitate the delimitation of territorial constituencies and operationalise the provisions providing for the reservation of one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, which was introduced by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in the Lower House yesterday, is intended to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850. Out of 850 seats, 815 members will be elected from the States and 35 members from the Union territories. The objective of the bill is to implement one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha as well as the assemblies of States and Union Territories.
Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which was passed in 2023, provided that a one-third reservation for women will come into effect after the delimitation exercise based on the first census after the commencement of the Act. The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill 2026 states that the next census and the consequential delimitation exercise will take considerable time, thus restricting effective and dedicated participation of women in the democratic polity. The objective of the bill is to operationalise one-third reservation for women through a delimitation exercise based on the latest published census.
The Delimitation Bill 2026, introduced by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in the Lok Sabha yesterday, provides for the constitution of the Delimitation Commission to undertake the exercise of delimitation, facilitating the reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the legislative assemblies. The Delimitation Commission is empowered with the task of carrying out delimitation of parliamentary and assembly constituencies and to allocate seats to be reserved for women, including women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill 2026 in the Lok Sabha yesterday. The bill seeks to amend the Government of Union Territories Act 1963, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. The legislation provides for the readjustment of parliamentary and assembly constituencies by the Delimitation Commission.
In his remarks during the discussion on these three Bills in the Lok Sabha yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that fifty per cent of the country’s population should be made a part of the decision-making process. He said, Nari Shakti is playing an instrumental role in the development of the country, and this is the need of the hour to give them due representation in policy-making. The Prime Minister stated that no one should operate under the arrogant illusion that they are magnanimously giving something to the women of India, as it is their right. He emphasized that the entire political establishment is collectively guilty of withholding this right for decades, making this bill a necessary act of atonement.
The Prime Minister appealed to the opposition parties not to give this historic legislation a political colour, as it will be beneficial for all and for the democracy of the country. He said, those who will oppose this legislation now will face the consequences in the future. PM Modi said, this will play a crucial role in shaping the direction and future of the country. He stressed that a developed India is not limited only to infrastructure, railways, or economic indicators, but also requires the equal participation of women. He said, the government wants the spirit of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ in policymaking.
The Prime Minister said that women’s participation in country’s parliamentary democracy is not just about numbers, but a commitment to democratic values. He said, out of around six thousand 700 block Panchayats, nearly two thousand 700 Panchayats are led by women. Mr Modi said that country which is progressing today has a significant contribution from women and this must be acknowledged. He said, when this experience becomes part of the House, it will multiply the efficiency many times.
The Prime Minister asserted that no injustice will be done to any state while implementing this law. Mr Modi added that whatever delimitation was carried out in the past, and the proportions that have been followed since then, will remain unchanged.
In a brief intervention during the discussion on this Legislations, Union Home Minister Amit Shah rejected the apprehensions of the opposition regarding reduction in number of Lok Sabha seats in southern states after delimitation exercise. Mr Shah clarified that the proposed framework ensures that no region will lose seats in absolute terms, and that southern states will see a rise in representation. Mr Shah said, at present out of the 543 seats, the strength of Southern States in the House is 129, which is approximately 23.76 percent and as per the new strength of the Lok Sabha, the number of seats will go up to 195. He added that the exercise is designed to maintain balance and fairness while accommodating changes in population.
Participating in the debate yesterday, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the provision of women reservation in Panchayats and Municipalities was first introduced by the Congress government under the leadership of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. She said the move marked a significant step in advancing women’s political participation at the grassroots level. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi also questioned the Centre’s decision to link the implementation of the women’s reservation law to a future delimitation exercise. She questioned why the government cannot roll out the reservation for women immediately with the current Lok Sabha strength of 543 without increasing the number of seats. She alleged that the government wants to take away the rights of OBCs by not conducting the caste census and sticking to 2011 census figures.
