Puducherry Assembly: one-third seats reserved for women under new Bill

It aims to enable greater representation and participation of women in the law-making processes of that specific territory.

Who it concerns: The Legislative Assembly of the Union territory of Puducherry, specifically regarding the reservation of seats for women candidates and the delimitation process for those seats.

What the bill does

• Inserts new sections 3A and 3B into the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963.
• Reserves as nearly as may be one-third of the total seats in the Legislative Assembly of Puducherry for women.
• Reserves one-third of the seats already reserved for Scheduled Castes for women.
• Specifies that the reservation takes effect after a delimitation exercise following the first census after the Act's commencement.
• States that the reservation shall cease to have effect after fifteen years from commencement, unless continued by Parliament.
• Provides for the rotation of reserved seats after a subsequent delimitation exercise determined by Parliament.
• Clarifies that the new provisions do not affect representation until the dissolution of the then-existing Legislative Assembly of Puducherry.

Also in the document

• The Bill is introduced consequent to the enactment of the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023.
• The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on December 8, 2023, by Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation.