Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill on Women's Reservation Defeated in Lok Sabha

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which sought to bundle women's reservation with a delimitation exercise, failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha on 17 April 2026. The vote fell short of the 362 members needed in the 543-member House, with the Opposition bloc INDIA voting against the amendment and several NDA allies abstaining.

The bill was introduced in a special session of Parliament. It proposed to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies only after the first delimitation exercise is conducted based on a fresh population Census. Opposition parties argued that tying women's reservation to delimitation would indefinitely delay the actual implementation and could also reduce the political weight of southern States, which have successfully stabilised their population.

A Constitution amendment requires a two-thirds majority of members present and voting, plus a simple majority of the total membership of each House. The Bill cleared the Rajya Sabha but was defeated in the Lok Sabha, making this the first time in recent years that a government-backed constitutional amendment has fallen at the final hurdle.

For aspirants, the episode highlights the constitutional amendment procedure under Article 368 and the distinction between amendments requiring simple majority, special majority, and special majority plus ratification by half the States. Women's reservation has been a long-pending demand in Indian Parliament; the Women's Reservation Act was notified in 2023 but implementation was conditional on delimitation.

The defeat reopens questions about how and when 33 per cent reservation for women will take effect in Parliament and State Assemblies.