SC to hear PIL seeking immediate implementation of Women Reservation Bill on Monday

NEW DELHI — The Supreme Court is slated to hear, on Monday, the plea filed by Congress leader Jaya Thakur seeking immediate implementation of the Women Reservation Bill before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

As per the causelist published on the website of the apex court, a bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta will resume hearing the matter on January 22.

In the previous hearing, the top court adjourned the hearing after no lawyer made an appearance on behalf of the Union government.

In November 2023, the Supreme Court had refused to issue notice in the matter and remarked that it will be “very difficult” to strike down the provision of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Bill 2023 which provides that the 33 per cent quota for women in the legislature will not be implemented unless decennial census and subsequent delimitation exercise is carried out.

The PIL had contended that there was no requirement of the census and delimitation because the number of seats are already declared and the present amendment gives 33 per cent reservation for existing seats. The plea said that this is an admitted position in our country that 50 per cent is women population but they have only 4 per cent representation in elections.

Also read: ‘Very Difficult’: SC on plea seeking immediate implementation of Women Reservation Bill