Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised that fifty per cent of the country’s population should be made a part of the decision-making process. He said, Nari Shakti is playing an instrumental role in the development of the country, and giving them due representation in the policy-making is the need of the hour. Mr Modi made the remarks in the Lok Sabha today during the discussion on the three key bills related to the Constitutional Amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
The bills are Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026
The Prime Minister appealed to the opposition parties not to give this historic legislation a political colour, as it will be beneficial for all and for the democracy of the country. He said, those who will oppose this legislation now will face the consequences in the future. Mr. Modi said, this will play a crucial role in shaping the direction and future of the country. He stressed that a developed India is not limited only to infrastructure, railways, or economic indicators, but also requires the equal participation of women. He said, the government wants the spirit of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ in policymaking.
Participating in the discussion, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav said that his party supports women’s reservation. However, he questioned the government to bring such important legislation in a hasty manner. He said that the Women’s Reservation Bill should be introduced only after the completion of the latest census drive. Telugu Desam Party leader Dr Byreddy Shabari has said that women today are ready to lead the nation from the grassroots to the national level. She thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing this important legislation, which is aimed at enhancing women’s participation in governance.
Earlier in the day, Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal introduced the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha today. Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the House.
Introducing the Bills, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal termed the day as historic saying the government is working to give political justice to women. He said the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, will ensure equality for women. Quoting Dr BR Ambedkar, Mr Meghwal stressed that the progress of a community is measured by the degree of progress which women have achieved. The Law Minister said that to implement a uniform and legally consistent distribution of reserved seats for women across the country, it would be necessary to increase the total number of seats in the Lok Sabha by 50 per cent over the current strength. He added that with such an increase, the new strength of the Lok Sabha would be 815 members. He said that out of these, 272 seats would be reserved for women, which comes in addition to the existing allocation.
The Law Minister said that the results of Census 2027 are not expected to be available before the end of 2027 or the beginning of 2028. He informed that, therefore, the 2011 Census will be used for the readjustment or division of territorial constituencies and for the allocation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Mr Meghwal said the Narendra Modi government has brought a number of schemes for the economic and social upliftment of women. He cited MUDRA Yojana, Lakhpati Didis and Sukanya Samridhhi Yojana as among the schemes brought by the government.
Initiating the discussion, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said his party is in favour of women’s reservation, but it should be simplified and not linked with delimitation. He said the reservation should be based on the existing 543 seats in the Lok Sabha. He alleged that the government is creating unnecessary delays in implementing the women’s reservation and urged the government to bring it into force immediately. Mr Gogoi reiterated that Congress has consistently supported women’s reservation. He highlighted that senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had earlier made a similar demand in Parliament, emphasizing reservation for women.
Tejasvi Surya of BJP said that today is a historic day as the women of the country, who have been waiting for nearly four decades, are now set to receive their due share. He said, by introducing three new bills, the Narendra Modi government is fast-tracking the Women’s Reservation bills. Mr Surya said, the move is being seen as a significant step towards opening a new chapter in India’s development journey.
He emphasised that, for the first time, the Nari Shakti of the country will receive vocal, visible, credible, and tangible representation in the nation-building process.
The discussion is underway.
