Indian Government Convenes Special Session to Boost Women's Representation in Parliament

New Delhi: In a major strategic decision at the end of the budget session, the central government has announced to convene a special session from 16 to 18 April instead of suspending Parliament indefinitely. The main objective of this three-day session is to remove the technical obstacles in implementing women's reservation by bringing important reforms in the'Nari Shakti Vandana Act '. The government is looking forward to expeditiously implement this process after delimitation. According to sources, the constitutional amendment bill to be introduced during this session proposes to drastically increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha. The existing 543 seats will be increased to 816, out of which 273 seats will be directly reserved for women. This change will not only reshape the representation of women in Parliament but also the entire political map of the country. The budget session that began on 28 January was to conclude on 2 April, but looking at the special agenda, the Speakers of the House will announce a new date for the next meeting.