What percentage of seats are reserved for women under the 106^th Amendment Act?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

RRB NTPC Graduate Level CBT-I Official Paper (Held On: 05 Jun, 2025 Shift 2)

Answer 1

The correct answer is 33%.

Key Points

The 106th Amendment Act of the Indian Constitution proposed 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
This amendment aimed to ensure gender equality in political representation and decision-making bodies.
The reservation was to apply to both directly elected seats and seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
The bill to enact this amendment was commonly referred to as the Women's Reservation Bill.
Though widely discussed and debated, the bill has not been implemented as of the latest updates.

Additional Information

Women's Reservation Bill:
- Introduced in Parliament in 1996, it aimed to reserve 33% of seats for women in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
- The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but has not been passed in the Lok Sabha.
- The aim was to enhance women’s participation in governance and policy-making.
Importance of Women's Representation:
- Increased representation of women ensures diverse perspectives in decision-making.
- It promotes gender equality and empowers women politically, socially, and economically.
Current Status of Women's Representation:
- As of 2023, women constitute approximately 14% of the Lok Sabha and 10% of the State Assemblies.
- India ranks relatively low in the global Gender Gap Index in terms of political empowerment.
Global Examples:
- Countries like Rwanda and Sweden have implemented effective gender quotas in their legislatures.
- Rwanda has over 60% representation of women in its Parliament, the highest in the world.