The Samajwadi Party, RJD and some other parties do not favour the bill in its present form.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of being 'anti-women' and obstructing the passage of the women's reservation bill in Lok Sabha. He criticised the TMC's opposition to the bill and defended the BJP's commitment to increasing women's representation in politics.
Opposition members in the Lok Sabha have questioned the government's decision to move a bill to amend the 2023 women's quota law before bringing the principal Act into force.
The MPs passed the bill through a voice vote.
With the three-day special sitting of Parliament on the constitution amendment bill related to the implementation of 33 percent reservation for women from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls set to begin on Thursday, a meeting of opposition parties is slated to be held on Wednesday at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
As more opposition MPs are now aligning with the ruling NDA, sources in the government indicated that possibilities are being explored to give a fresh push to the delimitation legislation in Parliament.
Affirming his commitment to women's empowerment, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said the government is moving towards providing one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures. Inaugurating the women's leadership summit in New Delhi, he said the government is committed to social, economic and political empowerment of women, whatever effort and resources the task might take.
The draft bill on reservation to Jats and four other castes was cleared at a Cabinet meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
'You cannot run Parliament with 800 MPs as nobody will get time (to speak in Parliament). And Parliament sits for barely 60 days in a year.' 'Look at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. They have 650 MPs and they sit for 150 days on an average in a year.'
The bill seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies.
The BJP-led government in Bihar secured a vote of confidence in the state assembly, with Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary pledging economic development and significant investments. The motion was passed amidst heated debates and accusations between the ruling NDA and the opposition, highlighting political tensions and differing views on issues like women's reservation.
'The Supreme Court stated that once the delimitation plan is approved by Parliament and receives assent of the President, it cannot be undone. Nor can it be modified.'
The Monsoon session of Parliament is expected to begin on July 20 and last for three weeks. Key political developments, including recent election victories and party rebellions, are set to influence the session, alongside the government's redrafting of a significant Constitution amendment bill concerning women's reservation and Lok Sabha seats.
India's gold demand saw a 6 per cent year-on-year decline in the April-June quarter of 2026, reaching 131.4 tonnes, primarily due to subdued seasonal sales, increased Customs duty, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to reduce gold purchases, according to a World Gold Council report.
Beyond imprisonment, candidates caught cheating face cancellation of examination scores, blacklisting under China's social credit system and multi-year bans from appearing in state examinations.
Inflows into foreign currency non-resident (bank), or FCNR (B), deposits have significantly underperformed market expectations, leading to a more than 1 per cent depreciation of the rupee against the dollar this week. Analysts point to fading RBI support measures, tepid interest due to rising global bond yields, and narrowing interest rate spreads compared to 2013 as key challenges.
Opposition leaders have criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, calling it politically motivated and a misuse of official platforms during ongoing elections.
The bill proposes to make university or college as a unit instead of department for the purpose of providing reservation for filling teachers posts in central education institutions.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP-led central government of using the proposed amendment to the women's quota law as a front for the Delimitation Bill, which she claims will divide the country. She asserted that her party will fight this move at every step.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed BJP workers after the party's performance in assembly elections, urging an end to political violence in West Bengal and a focus on the state's future.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced a significant increase in Lok Sabha seats for the five southern states following delimitation, countering misinformation and clarifying the timeline for women's reservation implementation.
The Congress party has accused the government of using women's reservation as a pretext to push through delimitation, arguing that the women's quota law should be implemented immediately based on the current Lok Sabha strength.
That means making it easier to invest, protecting investors through predictable rules, and avoiding policy reversals after investments have been made, notes Rajeswari Sengupta.
Its strength is set to increase by 3 seats once the current round of Rajya Sabha polls for 27 seats are concluded on June 28.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has assured the Vidhan Sabha that discrepancies in electricity bills following smart meter installations will be addressed. The government also plans to amend regulations to curb excessive fees charged by private schools.
Commending India for spurring "one of the greatest successes globally" in women's empowerment, executive director of the United Nation Women Michelle Bachelet on Wednesday strongly batted for enacting law giving reservation to women in Parliament.
The BJP and opposition parties are engaged in a political battle over the implementation of the Women's Reservation Act, with the BJP defending it as historic and the opposition accusing the government of delaying its notification and using it to push an unconstitutional delimitation exercise.
Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy on Friday claimed that the Congress tried to divert people's attention from coalgate by introducing the reservation bill but failed in its attempt.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of spreading falsehoods and offering no relief to the poor through his speeches. She made these remarks at a rally in Bhangar, South 24 Parganas district, ahead of Modi's address to the nation.
Despite government declaring it as a "top priority," the Women's Reservation Bill is unlikely to come up in the Budget session of Parliament beginning on Thursday.
Rahul Gandhi playfully remarked on his and PM Modi's lack of 'the wife issue' during a Lok Sabha debate, highlighting the influence of women in everyone's lives.
The Indian Parliament is expected to extend its budget session to introduce a bill increasing Lok Sabha seats to 816, reserving 273 for women, and amending the women's reservation law.
The rupee has been among the The RBI uses the Iran-US peace deal to bolster its forex reserves.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Election Commission will examine a complaint filed by opposition parties alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation violated the Model Code of Conduct for elections.
US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent ally of former President Donald Trump and an influential voice on American foreign policy, has passed away at 71 following a 'brief and sudden illness', leaving a significant void in Washington's political landscape.
As with the Women's Bill, so also with the proposed Lok Pal legislation, the exercise is essentially one of grand posturing by all parties, says Neerja Chowdhury.
Women MPs toe party lines on Reservation Bill
Police forces from several adjoining districts were requisitioned to man key junctions, sensitive locations and government buildings in the Lutyens' area ahead of the march.
