Women’s Reservation Act 2023 Comes into Force Amid Parliamentary Amendment Debate

The Women’s Reservation Act 2023, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, officially came into force on April 16, 2026, following a Gazette notification by the Union Law Ministry. This development occurred simultaneously with ongoing debates in the Indian Parliament regarding amendments to the same law, which aim to accelerate its implementation to 2029. Government officials cited unspecified technicalities for the timing but clarified that actual reservation of 33% seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies cannot be implemented until after a delimitation exercise based on the next census. Consequently, immediate enforcement in the current legislative house is not possible. The Indian National Congress strongly criticized the move, with general secretary Jairam Ramesh terming it absolutely bizarre to notify the act while amendments are being voted upon. Originally passed in September 2023, the act was initially expected to become enforceable no earlier than 2034. The notification highlights complex procedural interactions between legislative enactment, constitutional amendments, and electoral boundary delimitation processes in India.