The One Hundred and Sixth Constitutional Amendment Act, 2023, known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, has come into force, guaranteeing one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Passed by Parliament in September 2023, the Act inserts Articles 330A and 332A into the Constitution. Reservation activates only after the next delimitation exercise following the first Census conducted post-enactment.

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is the 106th Constitutional Amendment and represents the most significant structural change to electoral representation since the 73rd and 74th Amendments introduced local body reservations in 1992. It inserts three key provisions: Article 330A reserves one-third of Lok Sabha seats for women, Article 332A does the same for State Legislative Assemblies including Delhi, and Article 334A sets the operational framework and sunset clause. Critically, the reservation does not activate immediately — it is contingent on two sequential conditions: first, a fresh Census must be conducted, and then a delimitation exercise must be carried out based on that Census. This delayed activation is constitutionally significant and exam-relevant. The reservation includes a sub-reservation for women from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes within the overall one-third quota. The reserved seats rotate after each delimitation. The reservation operates for fifteen years from activation, mirroring the sunset logic used in Articles 334 (SC/ST political reservation). For CLAT PG aspirants, the key doctrinal question is whether this amendment alters the basic structure — courts have not yet ruled conclusively, but it engages the representation dimension of democracy identified in Indira Gandhi v. Raj Narain. For UPSC aspirants, the amendment's numbered articles, triggering conditions, and comparison with the 73rd/74th Amendments are high-yield testable facts.