Women's reservation in Parliament started immediately when the 106th Amendment was passed in 2023.

The reservation only takes effect after a delimitation exercise following the next census — it did not start automatically upon the amendment's passage.

Once implemered, the reservation for women will last forever.

The article specifies the reservation will cease after 15 years from the amendment's commencement, unless Parliament acts under clause (2) to continue it.

The Constitution of India

Article 334A

Reservation of seats for women take effect

(1) Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provision of this Part or Part VIII, the provisions of the Constitution relating to the reservation of seats for women in the House of the People, the Legislative Assembly of a State and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi shall come into effect after an exercise of delimitation is undertaken for this purpose after the relevant figures for the first census taken after commencement of the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023 have been published and shall cease to have effect on the expiration of a period of fifteen years from such commencement.§

(2) Subject to the provisions of articles 239AA, 330A and 332A, seats reserved for women in the House of the People, the Legislative Assembly of a State and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi shall continue till such date as the Parliament may by law determine.§

(3) Rotation of seats reserved for women in the House of the People, the Legislative Assembly of a State and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi shall take effect after each subsequent exercise of delimitation as the Parliament may by law determine.§

(4) Nothing in this article shall affect any representation in the House of the People, the Legislative Assembly of a State or the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi until the dissolution of the then existing House of the People, Legislative Assembly of a State or the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.§

Why this exists

Reserving seats for women in legislatures had been debated in India for decades, with earlier bills (in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2008) failing to pass due to lack of political consensus. The 106th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2023 (popularly called the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam') finally introduced this reservation, but Parliament linked its actual implementation to the next delimitation exercise, which itself depends on the next census. This was meant to ensure that reserved seats are based on updated population data and fairly redrawn constituencies, rather than old data, while also setting a 15-year expiry to keep the arrangement time-bound like other constitutional reservations.

Common misconceptions

Myth: Women's reservation in Parliament started immediately when the 106th Amendment was passed in 2023.
Fact: The reservation only takes effect after a delimitation exercise following the next census — it did not start automatically upon the amendment's passage.
Myth: Once implemered, the reservation for women will last forever.
Fact: The article specifies the reservation will cease after 15 years from the amendment's commencement, unless Parliament acts under clause (2) to continue it.