PM Modi reaffirms Women’s Reservation commitment in open letter to ‘Nari Shakti’

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to women’s reservation in legislative bodies, calling it a “long-pending reform crucial for strengthening their role in governance.” In a letter to “Nari Shakti” coinciding with the birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the Prime Minister emphasized that Ambedkar’s constitutional values continue to guide India’s progress.
The Centre is moving forward with the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Highlighting the urgency, PM Modi noted that Parliament will reconvene on April 16 to discuss a related constitutional amendment.
Modi celebrated women’s leadership in startups, science, and sports, stating: “All of you, our Nari Shakti, are making your mark in every aspect of national life, and this active contribution is one of the most gladdening developments of our times. Look at the world of StartUps…so many of them have women in leadership roles. Science and innovation, which are guiding the progress of humankind in the 21st century, have seen an increasing participation of women. The same is the case in academics, literature, art, music, cinema, dance, and heritage.” He recalled that India granted equal voting rights at independence, yet legislative representation has lagged. “As soon as India began its journey as an independent nation, we had equal voting rights for women and men. In many other nations across the world, women had to wait for years or even centuries for this. In the last three to four decades, numerous efforts were made to increase women’s participation in legislative bodies but the efforts did not fully fructify.” Addressing past political hurdles, he remarked: “In the year 2047, we will mark a hundred years since freedom from colonial rule. As the people of India immerse themselves in realising the dream of a Viksit Bharat by then, let us ensure that justice is done to the aspirations of India’s Nari Shakti, which is almost half of our population.” The Prime Minister stressed that the active participation of women is “absolutely non-negotiable” for the nation’s development. He expressed hope that the 2029 Lok Sabha elections would be held with the reservation fully in place, urging citizens to support the amendment to ensure that “the voice of democracy itself becomes stronger.”