Centre Planning Women's Reservation From 2029 Polls: Sources

The Centre is exploring options to expedite the implementation of women's reservation in Parliament and state assemblies, with a constitutional amendment potentially arriving in the current session, sources have said.

Amid growing concerns over delays, the Modi government aims to ensure the 33 per cent quota is operational in time for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

While the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam of 2023 originally linked the reservation to the completion of the census and subsequent delimitation process, the government is now considering decoupling these requirements.

Since the cabinet only approved the two-phase digital census in December 2025, the standard timeline for population counting and the formation of a delimitation commission would likely push the implementation beyond 2029.

Current estimates suggest the census may not be finalised until March 2027, followed by several years of redrawing constituency boundaries.

To avoid this timeline, the government is vetting the possibility of a legislative shift that would allow the reservation to take effect regardless of the delimitation status.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has hinted at the introduction of a significant bill during the ongoing session, though he stopped short of confirming the specific details.

This move follows long-standing criticism from opposition parties who previously argued that tying the quota to the census was a tactical delay. The government is now reaching out to various political factions to gauge support for this revised approach.