New Delhi: Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Thursday clarified in the Lok Sabha that the proposed law will increase the total strength of the House to 815 seats, with 272 seats reserved for women.
Initiating the discussion on the Women’s Reservation Bill and delimitation-related proposals, Meghwal assured that the new set up will not affect the interests of male members or reduce representation of any state.
He explained that the figure of 272 seats reflects the 33% reservation formula for women. The overall number of seats is being increased by nearly 50% to ensure that implementation of the quota does not disadvantage any section.
The minister also stated that there will be internal reservation within the women’s quota for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), which will apply to both the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
