Union Cabinet Approves Women’s Reservation Bill!

The Union Cabinet has reportedly given its approval for the introduction of the Women’s Reservation Bill, according to a post by Union Minister Prahlad Patel that was later deleted from social media. Although specific details of the bill are yet to be disclosed, it is widely speculated that the proposed legislation aims to secure 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha.

In a recently announced special session of Parliament, the agenda did not initially include the women’s reservation bill. However, various political parties advocated strongly for its reintroduction during an all-party meeting, prompting discussions. Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) lawmaker K Kavitha wrote to 47 political parties, urging them to unite and support the bill. The Modi government assured that a decision regarding the bill would be made at an appropriate time.

The Women’s Reservation Bill, seeking to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, was passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but lapsed after the dissolution of the Lok Sabha, without being presented to the lower house. Currently, the Supreme Court is considering a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by the National Federation of Indian Women, urging the reintroduction of the bill and emphasizing its broad support across political parties. The Court has signaled its intention to issue an order during the upcoming hearing.