Government plans special Parliament session to push Women's Reservation Bill

The government is planning a special Parliament sitting to advance a fresh constitutional amendment. The proposal links Lok Sabha expansion with implementing the long-pending women's reservation law.The government is confident of passing the bill in the special session.

The government is planning to convene a special session of Parliament to pass a Constitution amendment bill linked to the implementation of women's reservation, news agency Press Trust of India reported.Government sources told PTI that they were confident the bill would secure the required two-thirds majority by a margin of 15 to 18 votes. They did not disclose the dates or duration of the proposed session.The government needs 361 votes to pass the Constitution amendment bill in the Lok Sabha.

The 543-member House currently has three vacancies.The proposed amendment seeks to increase the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 seats through delimitation. This would pave the way for implementing 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislative assemblies.

A similar Constitution amendment bill failed to secure the required votes in the Lok Sabha during a special sitting of the Budget Session on April 17.Parliament can still be convened at short notice because the Monsoon Session, during which both Houses were adjourned sine die on August 13, has not been prorogued. The session has remained unprorogued for 91 days, surpassing the previous record of 87 days set in 2008.

An extended sitting within the existing session requires at least two days' notice, while a fresh session requires a minimum notice of 14 days. The decision to keep the Monsoon Session unprorogued had led to speculation about an extended or special sitting to consider the amendment.The government proposes to increase Lok Sabha seats for all states by 50 per cent to address the concerns of southern states as it seeks to implement the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary elections.Building on the earlier bill, the fresh draft is understood to propose retaining the existing ratio of seats among states based on the 1971 Census.

However, government sources told PTI that this was one of the options under consideration and no final decision had been taken.The Constitution does not specify a timeframe for proroguing a House after it has been adjourned sine die. Keeping a session open without formal prorogation for an extended period does not, by itself, amount to any constitutional or procedural violation.The proposed special session is aimed at securing the numbers needed to expand the Lok Sabha and enable 33 per cent reservation for women, though the government has yet to finalise the session schedule and the provisions of the fresh amendment bill.- Ends