Closing the representation gap

Source: The post “Closing the representation gap” has been created, based on “Closing the representation gap” published in “Indian Express” on 13th April 2026.

UPSC Syllabus: GS Paper-2- Governance

Context: The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam provides for one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, thereby addressing a long-standing structural gap in political representation. The Act represents a major constitutional step toward achieving gender equality in democratic decision-making institutions.

Need for Women’s Reservation in Legislatures

1. India continues to face significant underrepresentation of women in legislatures despite improvements in women’s education, economic participation, and social empowerment.
2. Women constituted only about 13.6% of the Lok Sabha members in 2024, which reflects a decline from earlier levels and highlights the persistence of gender imbalance.
3. Women account for only about 9% of Members of Legislative Assemblies across States, indicating a wider representation gap at the sub-national level.
4. India ranks low globally in women’s parliamentary representation compared to the global average of around 27%.
5. The mismatch between women’s increasing socio-economic contributions and their limited political participation necessitates structural corrective measures.

Significance of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam

1. Strengthening political equality

1. The Act institutionalises gender equality in political representation by ensuring constitutionally guaranteed participation of women in legislative bodies.
2. It reflects India’s transition from welfare-based approaches to women-led development frameworks.

2. Building on successful local-level reservation experience

1. The success of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act and the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act demonstrates that reservations have significantly increased women’s participation in grassroots governance.
2. Nearly 46% of elected representatives in Panchayati Raj Institutions are women, which shows the effectiveness of reservation as a policy instrument.

3. Improving governance outcomes

1. Studies have shown that women representatives often prioritise sectors such as healthcare, education, sanitation, and drinking water, thereby improving social sector outcomes.
2. Women’s leadership has also been associated with greater transparency and reduced corruption at local governance levels.

4. Creating a political leadership pipeline

1. Reservation at the grassroots level has helped create a pool of experienced women leaders who can gradually move into State and national legislatures.
2. The Act strengthens this upward mobility pipeline in political leadership.

5. Enhancing democratic legitimacy

1. Greater representation of women strengthens participatory democracy by ensuring that legislatures better reflect India’s demographic composition.
2. It improves the inclusiveness and responsiveness of policymaking institutions.

Challenges in Implementation

1. Dependence on delimitation exercise: The implementation of the Act is contingent upon completion of the delimitation exercise, which may delay operationalisation of reservations.
2. Rotation of reserved constituencies: The rotation mechanism may discourage long-term constituency development by elected representatives due to uncertainty regarding future electoral eligibility.
3. Proxy representation risks: There remains a possibility that women representatives may initially function as proxies for male family members in some regions.
4. Structural barriers within political parties: Political parties often hesitate to nominate women candidates even where opportunities exist, which reflects persistent institutional biases.
5. Need for capacity building: Newly elected representatives may require institutional training and leadership support to effectively participate in legislative processes.

Way Forward

1. The government should expedite the delimitation process to ensure the timely implementation of reservation provisions.
2. Political parties should voluntarily increase women’s candidature beyond the constitutional minimum requirement.
3. Capacity-building programmes should be strengthened through parliamentary training institutions and leadership development initiatives.
4. Greater investment should be made in supporting women’s political participation through financial assistance and mentorship networks.
5. Public awareness campaigns should be promoted to encourage acceptance of women’s leadership in political institutions.

Conclusion: The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam represents a historic constitutional reform aimed at correcting gender imbalance in India’s legislative institutions. Its effective implementation will ensure that women are not only participants in India’s development journey but also equal partners in shaping national policy and democratic governance.

Question: The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam seeks to address the structural underrepresentation of women in legislatures in India. Examine its significance and discuss the challenges in its implementation.

Source:  Indian Express