Date:- 10.11.2025
The Hon’ble Supreme Court asked the Central government to respond to a PIL seeking the immediate implementation of the Women’s Reservation Law, which provides for 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the Delhi Assembly.
The case was heard by a Bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan, who made strong remarks in support of women’s political representation. Justice Nagarathna observed that “women are the largest minority in the country, almost 48%. The Constitution promises political equality to all citizens.”
The petition was filed by Congress leader Dr. Jaya Thakur, who urged the Hon’ble Court to direct the government to implement the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2024, without waiting for a fresh delimitation exercise.
Senior Advocate Shobha Gupta, representing Dr. Thakur, argued that even after 75 years of independence, women are still struggling for fair political representation. She said, “It is unfortunate that we have to come to court for what is a matter of equality.”
The Hon’ble Court acknowledged that it has limited powers in policy matters, noting that the implementation of laws lies with the executive. However, it issued a notice to the Centre and directed that the petition be formally served to the government.
The Women’s Reservation Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on September 20, 2023, and by the Rajya Sabha on September 21, 2023. It became law after receiving the President’s assent on September 28, 2023.
The law added Article 334A to the Constitution, which says that the reservation for women will come into effect only after a delimitation exercise is carried out, that is, after the publication of the first census conducted following the amendment.
Dr. Thakur’s plea challenges this condition, calling the words “after an exercise of delimitation is undertaken for this purpose after the relevant figures for the first census” in Article 334A void from the beginning.
The petition was first filed in 2023, seeking implementation of women’s reservation before the 2024 general elections, but was later re-filed in 2025 and heard in open court for the first time on Monday.
The Hon’ble Court has now sought the Central government’s response, setting the stage for a key debate on when and how India’s long-awaited women’s political reservation will finally take effect.
