President Droupadi Murmu Grants Assent to Women's Reservation Bill, Enacting Constitution (106th Amendment) Act
On September 28, 2023, the President granted assent to the Act of Parliament known as the Constitution One Hundred and Sixth Amendment
President Droupadi Murmu Approves Women's Reservation Bill
President Droupadi Murmu has approved the women's reservation bill, which aims to grant a 33 percent reservation for women in both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The legislation will henceforth be recognized as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act. As per a notification from the Ministry of Law, the following Act of Parliament (Constitution One hundred and Sixth Amendment) received the assent of the President on September 28, 2023.
Brief Background
One significant distinction between the previous bill and the newly introduced constitutional amendment bill is that the new bill intends to come into effect after a process of delimitation is carried out, following the first census conducted after the bill becomes law, even though it still includes a sunset clause. Additionally, unlike the earlier bill, which aimed to amend Articles 331 and 333, the provisions related to reservation for the Anglo-Indian community have not been altered in the new bill.
Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman, Jagdeep Dhankhar, signed the women's reservation bill after it was passed by both Houses of Parliament. The bill was subsequently sent to the President for her approval.
After receiving the President's assent, the bill considered a significant legislative step for gender justice, became law.
On September 20, the Lok Sabha passed the bill with near unanimity during a special session of Parliament. The Rajya Sabha also passed it unanimously on September 21, marking the conclusion of the four-day session.
This new law aims to reserve 33% or one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and the Delhi assembly. Additionally, the law includes a provision for a quota within the quota to ensure representation for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Anglo-Indian women.
The 2023 Act brought changes to the Constitution, specifically focusing on modifying Article 239AA (which pertains to special provisions for Delhi) and adding three new Articles: Articles 330A, 332A, and 334A. The first two new Articles aim to implement a 33 percent reservation in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, respectively.
Click Here For the Detailed Information: Constitution (106th Amendment) Act
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