Centre sends feelers to Opposition on implementation of Women’s Reservation Bill

The government has reached out to several Opposition leaders, seeking their opinion on amending the Women’s Reservation Bill (2023) to expedite its implementation. The bill, which mandates 33% reservation for women in legislative bodies, was passed by Parliament but faces ambiguity regarding the timing of delimitation and Census completion. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has indicated that several important bills will be presented during the second part of the Budget Session, including a critical Bill. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, criticized the government's linkage of the bill with Census and delimitation, arguing it could be a mere "jumla".