The Union Government is reportedly planning a special session of Parliament to pass a fresh Constitutional Amendment Bill linked to the implementation of 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. The proposal also seeks to increase the Lok Sabha’s maximum strength from 543 to 850 seats through delimitation.

Key Proposals

• The proposed amendment aims to operationalise women’s reservation before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
• The government is considering increasing Lok Sabha seats by around 50% for States while retaining their existing inter-State seat ratios based on the 1971 Census to address concerns of southern States.
• The earlier Constitution Amendment Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha on 17 April 2026 for failing to secure the required special majority.
• Government sources claim that the fresh proposal could secure the required support, but no official date for the special session has been announced. 

Constitutional Background

The 106th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2023, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, provides for one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies and the Delhi Legislative Assembly.

• Articles 330A and 332A provide for women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, respectively.
• Article 334A links the commencement of reservation to a delimitation exercise following the relevant Census.
• Article 82 provides for readjustment of parliamentary constituencies after a Census, subject to constitutional provisions.

Constitutional Amendment Requirement

• Under Article 368, a Constitutional Amendment Bill requires a majority of the total membership of each House and at least two-thirds of members present and voting. 
• A joint sitting cannot be held to resolve a disagreement over such a Bill.

Exam Hook: Key Takeaway

The debate involves balancing women’s political representation, population-based delimitation and federal equity among States.

One-line Wrap: Women’s representation must advance alongside a fair and constitutionally balanced system of political representation.