Women are ‘largest minority’, says SC, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court stated that women are the “largest minority” in India, noting their declining representation in Parliament.
• Justice B.V. Nagarathna questioned why women could not have representation without reservation.
• The court was hearing a petition challenging the delay in implementing the "Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam" (Constitution 106th Amendment Act), which reserves 33% of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and Assemblies.
• The Act, approved in September 2023, is pending implementation due to the requirement of the next Census and subsequent delimitation exercise.
• The women's quota in the Lok Sabha and Assemblies will be valid for 15 years, with a potential extension by Parliament.

Detailed Insights:

• The "Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam" aims to provide political justice to women, aligning with social and economic justice, as women constitute 48.44% of the population.
• Article 15(3) of the Constitution mandates the State to take affirmative action for women's empowerment, supporting the reservation.
• The implementation is delayed as the next Census will quantify the population, enabling scientific reservation of seats for women through delimitation.
• The petition argues that holding back a Constitutional amendment for an uncertain period is unjust, given the historical underrepresentation of women in legislatures for the last 75 years.
• The court emphasized the necessity of the Census to accurately quantify the population, which will then serve as the basis for reserving seats for women in a scientifically sound manner.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Delimitation: The process of redrawing the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies to reflect changes in population.
• Affirmative Action: Policies designed to address past and present discrimination and ensure equal opportunities for marginalized groups.
• Political Justice: Ensuring fair representation and participation of all citizens in the political process, irrespective of gender or social status.