President Murmu gives assent to Women's Reservation Bill
Guwahati: In what could change the political landscape of the nation, India’s President Droupadi Murmu has given her consent to the women's reservation bill which seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
So from now on it will be known as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act.
According to its provision, “It shall come into force on such date as the central government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.”
Officially known as Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, the law proposes to reserve one-third of the seats in Lok Sabha and all state assemblies for women. The legislation cleared the Lok Sabha hurdle on September 20, with 454 MPs voting in its favour and 2 voting against it, demanding a sub-quota for women belonging to the Other Backward Class (OBC) and minority communities.
In Rajya Sabha, the Bill was passed unanimously on September 21 with 214 MPs voting in its favour.
Here it should be noted that despite the President's nod, the new law will take time to come into effect, as the seats in the state assemblies and Lok Sabha would be reserved for female candidates following the census and delimitation exercises.
