Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for the early implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act, urging political parties to work together to ensure it is in place before the 2029 general elections.

In a letter dated April 11 to leaders of all political parties in both Houses of Parliament, the Prime Minister emphasized the need to implement the law, officially known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, in its true spirit.

A special three-day session of Parliament has been scheduled from April 16 to 18 to discuss possible amendments to the law. The Centre aims to speed up the implementation process.

Currently, the Act provides 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, but its implementation is linked to the delimitation process based on the 2027 Census. This could delay the rollout until around 2034.

The proposed amendments are intended to remove this delay and make the reservation effective by the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Once implemented, the Act is expected to increase the total number of Lok Sabha seats to 816, out of which 273 seats will be reserved for women.

The Prime Minister stressed that it is important for all parties to unite and support this initiative to ensure greater representation of women in politics.