Amid the ongoing parliamentary debate over the Women's Reservation Bill 2026, the Central government on Thursday notified that the current act, passed in 2023, came into force on April 16.
According to a notification issued by the Union Law Ministry, the law, which gave a 33 per cent quota to women in the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies, came into force on Thursday.
However, it was not immediately known why the 2023 act was notified with effect from April 16, even as the debate to amend the same law in Parliament before the 2029 general elections was underway.
The notification read: "In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, the Central Government hereby appoints the 16th day of April, 2026, as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force."
In September 2023, Parliament passed the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', commonly known as the Women's Reservation Act, in a significant step towards enhancing women's representation in legislative bodies.
The act provided for the reservation of one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative Assemblies.
Under the 2023 law, the reservation would not become enforceable before 2034, as it was tied to the completion of the delimitation exercise post 2027 Census.
The three bills currently debated in the Lok Sabha were brought in by the government so that the women's quota could be implemented in 2029.
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Meanwhile, officials said that though the act has come into force, the reservation cannot be implemented in the current House, as it can be implemented after carrying out a delimitation exercise on the basis of the next census.
With PTI Inputs