Government Exploring Options To Roll Out Women’s Reservation Before 2029 Elections

The Union government is exploring ways to accelerate the implementation of women’s reservation in Parliament and state assemblies, with the aim of ensuring the quota comes into effect before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, according to government sources. Officials said a fresh constitutional amendment could be introduced during the current parliamentary session to facilitate the move.

The proposed shift relates to the implementation framework of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which mandates a 33 per cent reservation for women in the Parliament of India and state legislative assemblies. Under the original provisions of the law, the reservation was linked to the completion of a national census and the subsequent delimitation of parliamentary constituencies.

However, government officials are now examining the possibility of decoupling the reservation from the census and delimitation process. The move is being considered because the planned timeline for the population census and redrawing of constituencies could delay the implementation of the quota beyond the 2029 general elections.

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The Union Cabinet approved a two-phase digital population census in December 2025, but current projections indicate the exercise may not be completed until March 2027. Following that, the process of constituency delimitation — typically conducted by the Delimitation Commission of India — could take several additional years, potentially pushing the reservation’s rollout further into the future.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has hinted that a major legislative proposal may be introduced during the ongoing parliamentary session, although he did not confirm whether it would specifically address the women’s reservation timeline. Government representatives are also reportedly consulting political parties to gauge support for any amendment that could accelerate implementation.

The discussion comes after repeated criticism from opposition parties, which had earlier argued that linking the reservation to census and delimitation exercises could significantly delay the policy’s rollout. If the government proceeds with the proposed legislative change, it could clear the way for the quota to be implemented in time for the next 2029 Indian general election, potentially marking a major shift in the representation of women in India’s legislative bodies.

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