Centre Brings 2023 Women's Reservation Law Into Force From April 16 While Parliament Debates New Amendments

The Central Government has brought the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, which provides for 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, into force with effect from April 16, 2026, even as Parliament is debating fresh constitutional amendments relating to delimitation and the implementation of women's reservation.

The Ministry of Law and Justice issued a notification yesterday, appointing April 16, 2026, as the date on which the provisions of the Constitution (106th) Amendment 2023 shall come into force.

Although the President had granted assent to the women's reservation law way back in 2023 itself, it had not come into operation, as Section 1(2) deferred its taking effect by stating, "It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint."

The notification assumes significance as it has been issued at a time when Parliament is debating a fresh constitutional amendment moved by the Centre to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha and to delink women's reservation from the post-census delimitation requirement.

As per the 2023 Act, women's reservation will take effect only after the delimitation which is carried out after the next Census. This meant that women's reservation would be implemented only after the delimitation exercise carried out on the basis of the next Census.

However, on April 16, the Centre moved the Constitution (131st) Amendment Bill, proposing to increase the Lok Sabha seats to 850. The Bill further proposes to modify the existing condition linking women's reservation to delimitation carried out after the next Census, so as to enable its implementation immediately after the delimitation exercise.

The opposition parties, who voiced support for women's reservation, however, opposed the move to carry out delimitation based on the 2011 census. As the Lok Sabha is scheduled to take up the Bill for voting today, which requires a two-thirds majority of members present and voting as it is a constitutional amendment, the Centre notified the 2023 Act last night.