Explained: What Is Women’s Reservation Bill 2023 And When Will It Be Implemented?
Everything you need to know!
Women’s representation in the political sphere is as important as her presence in any other sector of work. However, sadly in India, we still do not see an equal opportunity for women as ministers. The Women’s Reservation Bill 2023 strives to bring about this change. But this bill has a long history to it. It was again introduced in the parliament by the current ruling party and the day was called a ‘historic’ one by our PM Narendra Modi. But, when will this bill come into effect or why was it not passed by other governments till now? These are some of the questions that come to our mind instantly. Here is a quick brief on the Women’s Reservation Bill that was hailed by actresses like Kangana Ranaut and Esha Gupta as a revolutionary change.
History And Present!
Women’s Reservation Bill dates back to the year 1996 when it was first proposed by the government led by H D Deve Gowda. The Women’s Reservation Bill strives to give women a 33 per cent quota in Lok Sabha and state assemblies including SCs, STs and Anglo-Indians. However, this bill was never passed by any government, even after constant efforts. In March 2023, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha also went on a hunger strike to protest the incompetence of governments in bringing this much-needed amendment. However, on September 20, the bill was passed by the Lok Sabha, but it still requires the votes of Rajya Sabha members and half of the states too!
Delighted at the passage of The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha with such phenomenal support. I thank MPs across Party lines who voted in support of this Bill.
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is a historic legislation which…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 20, 2023
Features And Limitations
The Women’s Reservation Bill will ensure one-third reservation for women in Lok Sabha and other state assemblies. The bill will empower women to take up authoritative positions in politics which is very much required as they will also become the voice of women in India. However, this bill includes all women, except the OBC community. This limitation was also raised during the Lok Sabha discussion by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Also Read: Kangana Ranaut, Esha Gupta React To Women’s Reservation Bill, Hail “New Age Bharat”!
Implementation
There is still some time for the Women’s Reservation Bill to become a law as it now needs the approval of the Rajya Sabha and 50 per cent of the states. However, the implementation of this bill might take a little longer than usual. As per the proposed bill, it can only be implemented after the first consensus is taken and published. After the commencement of the Constitution (128th Amendment) Act 2023, this consensus was due in 2o21 and that could not happen. As per some reports, it is said that the implementation of this bill is not quite possible before 2029.
We would love to see women’s equal representation in politics and it is sad there have been so many obstacles in making this much-needed change possible!
