India launches a constitutional amendment to reserve one-third of parliament and assembly seats for women. The government schedules a three-day special session starting Thursday, needing two-thirds approval.
Women currently hold just 14% of the 543 Lok Sabha seats. The reform aligns India closer to global standards while linking to a population-driven constituency redraw based on the 2011 census. Total seats could jump to about 850.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi champions the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam as a historic empowerment move, targeting implementation by 2029. Village councils already reserve 33% for women.
Opposition parties cry foul, accusing the BJP of bundling gender progress with controversial delimitation. They demand a simple quota on existing seats and a freeze until population stabilizes. Critics highlight election-season timing.
Constitutional rules tie seats to state populations with equal-sized constituencies. Past redraws followed 1951, 1961, and 1971 censuses; later pauses avoided north-south imbalances from fertility gaps. Modi breaks the freeze.
