Supreme Court to Hear Plea on Immediate Rollout of Women’s Reservation Law Today

New Delhi, Apr 13 : The Supreme Court of India is set to hear a significant plea on Monday seeking the immediate enforcement of 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

According to the court’s schedule, a bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan will take up the petition filed by Congress leader Jaya Thakur. The plea urges that the benefits of the quota should not be postponed and calls for the direct implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

The petitioner has argued that linking the rollout of the reservation policy to the completion of the next Census and delimitation process is unnecessary, stressing that seat allocations are already defined. It further highlights the continued underrepresentation of women, despite them constituting nearly half of India’s population.

Earlier, in November 2023, the apex court had indicated that overturning the provision tying implementation to Census and delimitation could be legally challenging.

The matter gains urgency as Parliament is expected to deliberate on the Women’s Reservation framework during a special session beginning April 16. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached out to leaders across party lines, seeking consensus for passing the legislation and ensuring its rollout ahead of the 2029 general elections.

In his communication, the Prime Minister emphasized that enhanced participation of women in governance is vital for India’s long-term development goals. However, the proposed session has sparked criticism from the Indian National Congress, which has raised concerns over timing due to ongoing Assembly election campaigns and has called for broader consultations, particularly on delimitation, before proceeding further.