Explained: amendments that first introduced reservation for women in elected bodies

An emotional Sonia Gandhi credited her husband and ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi for sowing the seeds of women’s political representation in India. In 1987, Union Minister Margaret Alva headed a 14-member committee, which presented the PMO with the National Perspective Plan for Women. The report, which contained 353 recommendations, called for reserving 33% of seats for women in local body polls.

A bill based on the recommendations was introduced by Rajiv Gandhi in the Parliament but it was defeated in the Rajya Sabha by 7.

The bill was passed under PV Narasimha Rao's government as the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts in 1992. This mandated 33.3% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions and local urban bodies.

The National Perspective Plan for Women was not limited to reservation policies. It also paved the way for women’s property rights, curbing gender-determination tests and boosting protection against dowry demands.

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's parliament address on Wednesday traced the history of the bill. She said this was her husband’s dream, which would be completed with the passing of the Bill.

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The 76-year-old said the Congress party would support the bill, which is now known as “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023.” However, she also demanded reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs).