Source: New India Samachar Vol 6, Issue 21 (cover story “Half the Population, Full Rights”)
The April 16-18, 2026 special session of Parliament took up the government’s package to operationalise 33 percent women’s reservation from the 2029 general elections. The centrepiece Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 fell short of the required special majority in the Lok Sabha: 298 in favour, 230 against.
What the Package Proposed
- Three bills: the 131st Amendment Bill, a Delimitation Bill 2026, and a UT Laws (Amendment) Bill 2026
- Lok Sabha strength to rise from 545 to 850 seats (815 state seats + 35 UT seats); SC/ST reserved seats from 131 to 205
- Reservation to run 15 years from implementation, extendable
- The design decoupled women’s reservation from the post-census delimitation that the 2023 Act had tied it to
The Long Legislative Arc
| Attempt | Fate |
|---|---|
| 81st Amendment Bill (1996, Deve Gowda govt) | Lapsed |
| 84th (1998) and 85th (1999, Vajpayee govt) | Lapsed |
| 108th (2008; passed Rajya Sabha March 9, 2010) | Lapsed May 18, 2014 |
| Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (128th Amendment Bill, 2023) | Passed LS 454-2, RS 214; assent September 28, 2023; formally notified April 16, 2026 |
| 131st Amendment Bill (April 2026) | Fell at 298-230 in the Lok Sabha |
The Context Numbers
- Women in Panchayati Raj institutions: 1.45 million elected representatives, about 46 percent of the total, the world’s largest cohort of elected women
- Women MPs: 22 in the 1st Lok Sabha; 78 in the 17th; 75 in the 18th (about 14 percent)
- Lok Sabha seats have been frozen since 1971-72; 127 constituencies now exceed 2 million voters each, the delimitation pressure behind the 850-seat proposal
Mains Angle
The structural knot: women’s reservation, delimitation and federal balance are now one question: expanding to 850 seats redistributes power toward high-population states, which is why the package could not assemble a two-thirds coalition. For answers: contrast panchayat-level success (46 percent) with parliamentary stagnation (14 percent); discuss whether reservation should ride on the existing 545 seats rather than wait for expansion. Way forward: all-party delimitation commission with a federal-protection formula, so the women’s quota stops being hostage to the seat-share fight.
📌 Facts Corner — Knowledgepedia
The 2026 special session (April 16-18):
- 131st Amendment Bill: LS vote 298-230, short of two-thirds
- Package: 850-seat Lok Sabha (815 + 35 UT); SC/ST seats 131 to 205; 15-year duration
The 2023 Act:
- Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (128th Amendment Bill): LS 454-2; RS 214; assent September 28, 2023; notified April 16, 2026
Representation:
- PRIs: 1.45 million elected women (~46 percent)
- Women MPs: 22 (1st LS) to 75 (18th LS); seats frozen since 1971-72; 127 constituencies above 2 million voters
