Summary:

• An Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) analysis shows that since the women's reservation Bill was passed in 2023, only 10.2% of candidates fielded in subsequent Assembly polls have been women
• Data: across 20 States/UTs that held Assembly elections, of 31,429 total candidates only 3,273 (10.2%) were women
• The proportion of women candidates did not exceed 14% in any of these States/UTs
• Context: the women's reservation Bill (as passed) mandates 33% reservation for women in legislatures — but its implementation is tied to a delimitation exercise, so the gap between mandate and current candidate share is stark
• Implication: political parties continue to under-nominate women even after the constitutional commitment, highlighting a gap between de jure provision and de facto representation

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 — elections and political representation; women's reservation, role of parties; GS1 — women empowerment in politics

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Women's reservation (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam / 106th Constitutional Amendment) mandates 33% seats for women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies
• ADR analysis: 3,273 of 31,429 candidates (10.2%) were women across 20 States/UTs; max share under 14%
• Implementation linked to delimitation after the next Census

🔑 Key Term: Women's reservation Bill (106th Amendment, 2023) — reserves one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies for women, to take effect after delimitation