The Union Cabinet on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) approved a draft amendment Bill to operationalise the Women’s Reservation Act by the 2029 Lok Sabha elections
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said. The amendment seeks to revise the implementation framework of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, formally known as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, passed in 2023.
Under the proposal, the strength of the Lok Sabha is set to rise from 543 to 816 seats, following a fresh delimitation exercise. Of the expanded House, 273 seats, around one-third will be reserved for women. The quota will be applied vertically, providing reservation for women within the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories as well.
In a significant departure from the existing law, the government plans to carry out delimitation based on the 2011 Census, rather than waiting for Census data from 2027. The move is aimed at accelerating the rollout of women’s reservation.
The amendment Bill will be taken up for debate during the extended sittings of the Budget Session from April 16-18.
