---
title: "106th Constitutional Amendment Act (Women's Reservation)"
description: "The 106th Constitutional Amendment Act (2023) reserves a third of Lok Sabha and assembly seats for women, but takes effect only after a delimitation exercise."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/106th-constitutional-amendment-act"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The 106th Constitutional Amendment Act, enacted in 2023, reserves one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women.
- When will the women's reservation under the 106th Amendment actually take effect?
- Which bodies does the 106th Amendment cover?
- Does the Act include a sub-quota for OBC women?
- How long does the reservation last?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Positions at a glance

### Supporters

The 106th Constitutional Amendment Act, formally titled the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, and introduced in Parliament as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, reserves one-third of all seats in the Lok Sabha, the legislative assemblies of the states, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi for women. It originated as a legislative ambition stretching back to the 73rd and 74th Amendments of 1992–93, which reserved one-third of seats in panchayats and municipalities for women but stopped at the local tier. Successive attempts to extend reservation to Parliament and state assemblies—most prominently a bill passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010—lapsed for want of Lok Sabha approval. The 2023 Act was passed during a special session of Parliament, securing near-unanimous support in both Houses, and received presidential assent on 28 September 2023. It inserts new Articles 330A and 332A into the Constitution and amends Article 239AA, which governs Delhi.

### Opponents

The 106th Amendment is distinct from the OBC reservation debate and from caste-based quotas generally: it does not, as enacted, carve out a sub-quota for women of Other Backward Classes, an omission that several opposition parties pressed during the 2023 debate. It also differs from the reservation regime of the 73rd and 74th Amendments, which applies at the panchayat and municipal level and is already operational, and from the Rajya Sabha and state legislative councils, which the Act does not cover because those bodies are indirectly elected. Unlike candidate-quota systems used in some jurisdictions—where parties must field a minimum proportion of women—the Indian model reserves seats themselves, removing those constituencies from open contest among all candidates for the relevant cycle.

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Example

In September 2023, India's Parliament passed the 106th Constitutional Amendment Act during a special session, with President Droupadi Murmu granting assent on 28 September 2023.

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