The bill aims to give women from these groups access to one-third of the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats set aside for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), but there is no similar provision for OBC women.
Source: The Times of India
Parties like the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal are also proponents of a quota-within-quota, arguing that it is necessary to empower disadvantaged women.Once the Constitution was changed to allow reservation for OBCs, a quota for OBC women was suggested in a report reviewing the 1996 Women’s Reservation Bill.
This suggestion, however, was not included in the legislation’s later text. Unquestionably, the 2023 Bill represents a significant advance for women’s equality. However, any attempt to implement sub-quotas may backfire since attention will shift to conflicting caste claims and gender issues will become secondary.
Source: India Today
Additionally, the objective for women’s empowerment would be derailed by the dominating castes’ unrelenting quota demands.Overcoming partisan differences, the lawmakers should focus on the fundamental quota of 33% and develop a plan to assure its successful implementation. Giving women more chances should be the main goal, regardless of their backgrounds.
The fact that the reserve won’t go into force until the Census and delimitation process are over has already tempered the excitement surrounding the new Bill. The promising legislation will be further weakened if a quota-within-quota is insisted upon.
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