Bills introduced to extend Women's Reservation Bill to J&K, Puducherry

The Union government on Tuesday (December 12) introduced in the Lok Sabha two bills to extend the provisions of the women's reservation law to the Union Territories of Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Second Amendment) Bill and the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha.

“Consequent to the enactment of the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, similar provisions for providing reservation for women in the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are also required to be made by Parliament by amending the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019,” Home Minister Amit Shah said in the statement of object and reasons. The provisions for providing reservation to women in the legislative assembly of the Union Territory of Puducherry are also required to be made by Parliament by amending the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, the Union home minister said.

The two bills seek to enable greater representation and participation of women as public representatives in law-making processes in the legislative assemblies of Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.

Officially known as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, the women's reservation law seeks to provide 33 percent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures.

During a special session of Parliament in September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi haled the law as “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam”.

The Constitution amendment bill was passed by the Lok Sabha with near unanimity and the Rajya Sabha with unanimity. The law will take some time before being implemented as the next census and the subsequent delimitation exercise – redrawing of Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies – will ascertain the particular seats being earmarked for women.

The quota for women in the Lok Sabha and assemblies will continue for 15 years and Parliament can later extend the period.

The Centre has listed the two bills for the ongoing winter session of Parliament. Before the commencement of the winter session, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, after an all-party discussion on the proposed bills, had on December 3 said that there was no provision in the law to extend women’s reservation to the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry. Hence the separate bills, he said.

The law minister also said that since there was a provision in the Constitution, Delhi, a Union Territory, was included in the women’s reservation law passed by both houses of Parliament in September.

(With agency inputs)