PM Modi Says Women’s Quota Bill Was Designed To Empower Women From 2029

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the women's reservation amendment was aimed at finally delivering long-pending rights to women that had been delayed for decades, while asserting that the proposed changes were meant to take effect from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

In his address to the nation, a day after the bill failed to clear the Lok Sabha, Modi said the government's intent was not only to fulfil a long-standing commitment on women's political representation but also to make women active participants in India's development journey. He said the measure was designed to empower women as key contributors to national progress and place them at the centre of the country's growth story.

The Prime Minister also underlined that the amendment had a wider institutional purpose, saying it was intended to ensure broader representation in Parliament by giving a voice to all regions of the country. The proposed framework sought to combine women's reservation with an expansion in the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, which the government argued would make the transition more inclusive and structurally viable.

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, however, was defeated in the Lok Sabha on Friday night after the BJP-led alliance failed to secure the required two-thirds majority. The bill received 298 votes in favour and 230 against, falling short of the 352 votes needed out of the 528 members who voted. The legislation aimed to operationalise 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures before the 2029 parliamentary polls through a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.