Women's Reservation Act Simplified: How Will It Work & Why Is It Delayed?
Published by Samvidhan Simple Editorial on June 18, 2026 | 4 min read
A simple guide to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, the 33% seat reservation for women in Parliament, and the census-delimitation roadmap.
Key Takeaways
- The Women's Reservation Act (106th Amendment) mandates reserving 33% of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
- It includes a sub-quota for women belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).
- The reservation will last for an initial period of 15 years, which Parliament can extend.
- Its practical start is legally tied to the next census and subsequent delimitation process.
What is the Women's Reservation Act?
Officially known as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, or 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', this historic law reserves one-third (33%) of all seats in the Lok Sabha (national Parliament), state legislative assemblies, and the Delhi assembly for women. It aims to dramatically boost women's political participation and leadership in India.
How will the reservation work?
Under the law, out of the total seats in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, 33% will be reserved for female candidates. This reservation will also apply within the existing quotas for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). The seats reserved for women will be rotated among different constituencies in every subsequent delimitation exercise so that representation is distributed fairly.
Why is the reservation not active yet?
Even though the bill was passed with near-unanimous support in 2023, it has not yet been implemented. This is due to a specific clause (Article 334A) added to the Constitution, which states that the reservation will only come into effect after: 1. A fresh Census is conducted after the commencement of the Act. 2. A subsequent Delimitation exercise is carried out to redraw constituency boundaries based on the census data. Because the census and delimitation have not been conducted yet, the start date of the reservation remains pending.
When can we expect it to start?
Historically, the census was scheduled for 2021 but was delayed. Because the constitutional freeze on redrawing seats expires after 2026, the census and subsequent delimitation are expected to take place in the post-2026 window. Consequently, many experts discuss the 2029 Lok Sabha elections as the first realistic target for implementing women's reservation.