Parliament passes the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023

Tags: National News

Parliament successfully passed the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, which provides for the reservation of one-third of the total seats for women in the Lok Sabha, state legislatures, and the Delhi Assembly.

An Overview of the News

• The Women's Reservation Bill called the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, got approval in the Rajya Sabha with an overwhelming majority on September 21, 2023, as 214 members voted in favor of it, while none opposed it.

• The Lok Sabha already passed the Women's Reservation Bill with overwhelming support as 454 MPs voted in favor, while only two MPs opposed it. Speaker Om Birla had formally announced the passage of the bill in the lower house.

Major Provisions and Effects

• The Women's Reservation Bill aims to reserve one-third of the seats for women in the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and the Delhi Assembly.

• It includes provisions for 33 percent reservation for women in Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) within the existing quota based on census and delimitation.

About Article 243(D)

• Article 243(D) of Part IX of the Constitution mandates the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in all three levels of Panchayats.

• State legislatures are responsible for establishing provisions that reserve the posts of chairpersons in Panchayats for persons belonging to SC and ST communities.

• Article 243(D) also provides that at least one-third of the seats in Panchayats should be reserved for women.

• Additionally, State Legislatures have the power to provide for reservation in favor of backward classes in terms of seats or the post of Speakers.

Additional Information:-

• Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the 128th Amendment Bill, 2023 to achieve 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies.

• Arjun Ram Meghwal, while introducing the bill, had said that if it is passed, the number of seats reserved for women in the Lok Sabha will increase from 82 to 181.

Chairman of Rajya Sabha - Jagdeep Dhankar