Constitution Section 334A — Reservation of seats for women take effect
Part XVI — SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO CERTAIN CLASSES
Constitutional
Summary
The rules for reserving seats for women in the Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies, and the Delhi Legislative Assembly will start only after a new delimitation exercise is carried out, based on the first census published after the 2023 constitutional amendment. Once these reservations begin, they will last for 15 years from the date that amendment came into effect. After that, Parliament can decide by law how long the reservations continue. The reserved seats will be rotated after each future delimitation exercise, as determined by Parliament. These reservation rules do not affect the current composition of any of these assemblies until they are dissolved.
Official Text
(1) Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provision of this Part or Part VIII, the provisions of the Constitution relating to the reservation of seats for women in the House of the People, the Legislative Assembly of a State and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi shall come into effect after an exercise of delimitation is undertaken for this purpose after the relevant figures for the first census taken after commencement of the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023 have been published and shall cease to have effect on the expiration of a period of fifteen years from such commencement.
(2) Subject to the provisions of articles 239AA, 330A and 332A, seats reserved for women in the House of the People, the Legislative Assembly of a State and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi shall continue till such date as the Parliament may by law determine.
(3) Rotation of seats reserved for women in the House of the People, the Legislative Assembly of a State and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi shall take effect after each subsequent exercise of delimitation as the Parliament may by law determine.
(4) Nothing in this article shall affect any representation in the House of the People, the Legislative Assembly of a State or the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi until the dissolution of the then existing House of the People, Legislative Assembly of a State or the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.