Political Participation — Amendments

Amendment	Year	Description	Impact
73rd Constitutional Amendment Act	1992	Mandated the establishment of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) as a third tier of governance. Crucially, it reserved one-third of seats for women (including SC/ST women) at all three levels of Panchayats (village, intermediate, and district), and also reserved one-third of the offices of chairpersons for women.	Revolutionized grassroots democracy by bringing over 1.4 million women into formal political roles. It significantly increased women's political participation and leadership at the local level, fostering their agency and influence over local development, despite challenges like 'sarpanch-pati' syndrome.
74th Constitutional Amendment Act	1992	Provided for the constitutional recognition of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) like Municipalities and Municipal Corporations. Similar to the 73rd Amendment, it mandated one-third reservation of seats for women (including SC/ST women) in ULBs and one-third of the offices of chairpersons for women.	Extended the principle of affirmative action for women to urban local governance, ensuring their representation and participation in urban planning and decision-making. This empowered women in urban settings, addressing their specific needs and concerns in city administration.
128th Constitutional Amendment Bill (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam)	2023	Passed by Parliament, this bill seeks to reserve one-third of the seats for women in the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. This reservation also applies to seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.	Aims to significantly increase women's representation in national and state legislatures, addressing the long-standing gender gap at higher levels of governance. Its implementation, however, is contingent on the completion of the next census and a subsequent delimitation exercise, making its immediate impact deferred but its long-term potential transformative.