**GOI Issues Gazette Notification Enacting Women’s Reservation Bill into Law**
The Government of India (GOI) has issued a gazette notification, officially enacting the Women’s Reservation Bill into law. This historic legislation, which received the assent of President Droupadi Murmu, is now known as the “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.” The law mandates that 33% of seats in the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and state assemblies will be reserved for women. However, the implementation of this reservation will occur after the completion of the new census and delimitation process.
The bill was passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in a special session of Parliament earlier this month, marking a significant achievement. Notably, the AIMIM expressed opposition to the bill, arguing that it would primarily benefit Savarna (upper-caste) women, as there is no reservation for Muslim women representatives. The Congress party also called for OBC (Other Backward Classes) reservation and raised concerns about the timeline for implementation.
The gazette notification outlines that the provisions of the Constitution relating to the reservation of seats for women will come into effect after delimitation is undertaken following the publication of relevant figures from the first census conducted after the commencement of the Constitution Act, 2023. This reservation will remain in effect for a period of fifteen years from the said commencement.
