Women’s groups urge MPs to delink quota from census, delimitation

New Delhi: More than 60 women’s organisations have petitioned Members of Parliament, urging that women’s reservation be implemented independently of Census data and the delimitation process.

The petition, signed by over 500 individuals, criticises the proposed Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, for “wrongly linking” women’s reservation to Census enumeration and delimitation.

It argues that the existing provision of 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures, as enacted in 2023, can be implemented immediately without waiting for fresh population data.

“If the government is determined to link women’s reservation to population counts, it should provide 48–49 per cent reservation, reflecting women’s demographic share,” the petition stated.

The signatories have urged Parliament not to use the ongoing Special Session to shift focus towards seat expansion or delimitation, stressing that such exercises depend on updated Census data and should only proceed after the enumeration is completed.

“This Special Session should not be used to distract attention from women’s reservation. What it can do is restore focus on women,” the petition said.

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The groups have also called for the removal of all references to Census and delimitation from the 2023 law. They have proposed amendments to ensure proportional distribution of reserved seats among states, based on existing representation, and suggested that states fund election campaigns of marginalised women, including those from OBC, LGBTQIA+, and denotified communities.

Additionally, the petition has urged the government to bring a separate constitutional amendment in the upcoming Monsoon Session to extend 33 per cent reservation to the Rajya Sabha.

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On delimitation, the organisations cautioned against premature discussions, stating that any expansion of seats or redrawing of constituencies must follow the release of updated Census data. They also called for a comprehensive review of criteria and procedures, citing concerns over alleged gerrymandering in previous exercises.

The petition has been endorsed by several prominent figures from women’s rights and social justice movements, including Beena Pallical, Nandita Gandhi, Radha Kumar, Aruna Roy, Shantha Sinha, Arundhati Dhuru, Kumudini Pati, Padma Singh, Shabnam Hashmi, Meera Shiva, Janaki Nair, and Nandini Sundar, among others.

Other signatories include Ruchika Sharma, Mridula Mukherjee, Lalita Ramdas, Asha Mishra, Syeda Hameed, and Annie Raja.

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The special three-day sitting of Parliament began on Thursday to consider a legislative package, including the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, aimed at implementing the Women’s Reservation Act from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

The package also includes the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. According to the proposals, Lok Sabha seats would be increased to as many as 850 from the current 543 to operationalise women’s reservation ahead of the 2029 general election, following a delimitation exercise based on the most recently published Census.