New Delhi: A group of activists, academics, former civil servants and members of civil society have issued a statement raising concern over the “secretive and undemocratic” manner in which the Union government is proposing to introduce key legislations on women’s reservation and delimitation in the upcoming special session of parliament. The signatories have questioned the absence of public consultation and transparency around the draft Bills that hold the potential to “re-shape India’s electoral democracy and impact every voter”.The signatories have called for the process to be opened up before any legislative action is taken, adding that “a reform of such historic magnitude deserves transparent debate, public scrutiny and the inclusion of diverse voices”.The statement in full is produced below.§Statement regarding the opaque and non-consultative manner in which the government is bringing bills on women’s reservation and delimitation in the upcoming session of Parliament We are writing to express our deep concern about the complete lack of transparency regarding the draft legislations proposed to be taken up during the 3-day special extension of the Budget Session of Parliament scheduled to be held from April 16 to 18, 2026. As per media reports, the cabinet has cleared 3 bills to ostensibly pave the way for 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies from 2029 – an amendment to the Women’s Reservation Act (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), a Delimitation Bill and a separate bill to extend the quota to Union Territories. The draft legislations reportedly include a proposal for a uniform 50% increase in seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, raising the Lok Sabha’s strength from 543 to 816 and total assembly seats from 4,123 to 6,186. The laws will fundamentally re-shape India’s electoral democracy and impact every voter in the country. Given the far-reaching ramifications of these legislations, it is shocking that the citizens of the country have been kept completely in the dark about the contents of the bills, their implications and the rationale for bringing these constitutional and legislative amendments. Information about the proposed laws is reaching people only through media reports based on “sources”. This is a flagrant violation of peoples’ fundamental right to information and the principles laid out in the Pre-legislative Consultation Policy. The Pre-legislative Consultation Policy adopted by the Union Government in 2014 mandates placing draft legislations in the public domain for at least 30 days, inviting public comments and making a summary of feedback/comments received available on the concerned ministry’s website prior to sending it for Cabinet approval. It also requires that wide publicity be given to the consultation process and the draft legislation through print and electronic media, or in such other manner considered necessary to reach the affected people. Given the tremendous impact the three legislations proposed to be taken up in the upcoming session of Parliament will have on our democracy, we demand that the government: make the text of the draft bills public immediately and ensure wide dissemination through various modes, and in multiples languages; put the draft bills through robust public consultation, in line with the Pre-legislative Consultation Policy. While we wholeheartedly support reservation for women in legislature, and many of us have been part of campaigns demanding the same, we strongly oppose the secretive, non democratic manner in which the proposed legislations are being brought. It is a profound irony, and a grave disservice to the democratic process, to introduce legislation for women’s empowerment while simultaneously excluding women from the conversation. A reform of such historic magnitude deserves transparent debate, public scrutiny and the inclusion of diverse voices to ensure it truly empowers people, rather than being rushed through in the midst of ongoing state elections as a political tool. List of endorsements as on 13-4-2026S. No. Name Designation/ organisational affiliation (if any) State1. Anjali Bhardwaj Transparency activist Delhi2. Aditi Mehta IAS Retd Rajasthan3. Zoya Hasan Professor Emerita Delhi4. Annie Raja NFIW Delhi5. Jayati Ghosh Economist Delhi6. Beena Pallical National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights Delhi7. Nivedita Menon Retd Professor, Delhi Delhi8. K Sujatha Rao Retired civil servant Telangana9. Ayesha Kidwai Professor JNU Delhi10. Meera Sanghamitra National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) Telangana11. Teesta Setalvad Citizens for Justice and Peace Maharashtra12. Amrita Johri Transparency activist Delhi13. Prof. Ganesh Devy Karnataka14. Prof Santosh Mehrotra Visiting Prof, Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad Telangana15. Amitabha Pande Constitutional Conduct Group Uttar Pradesh16. Madhu Bhaduri Retired Ambassador of India Delhi17. Ashok Sharma IFS (retd.) Uttar Pradesh18. Nisha Sidhu General Secretary NFIW Rajasthan19. Leena Dabiru Maharashtra20. Yamini Aiyar Delhi21. Niraja G. Jayal Retired academic Delhi22. Kamal Malhotra Head, United Nations (retired) Delhi23. Kamal Kant Jaswal Former Secretary to the Government of India Haryana24. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta Haryana25. V. Ramani IAS (Retd.) Maharashtra 26. Harshavardhan Hegde Doctor Delhi27. Harsh Mander Karwan e Mohabbat Delhi28. M G Devasahayam IAS (Retd) Karnataka29. Prasad Chacko National Secretary , PUCL Gujarat30. Avinash Kumar Faculty, Labour Studies, JNU Delhi31. Rahul Mukherji Professor & Chair of Politics, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg Not applicable32. Balveer Arora Centre for Multilevel Federalism ISS Delhi33. Ashish Joshi, IP&TAFS (retd)Former Civil Servant , Additional Secretary Equivalent Uttarakhand34. Vijay Pratap Singh Aditya Delhi35. Nikhil Dey MKSS Rajasthan36. Nileema Bhardwaj Delhi37. Saswati Chaudhuri Viual artist, writer and independent museum professional Delhi38. Ritash Writer & co-founder, RANG Foundation Karnataka39. G V Venugopala Sarma IAS (Retired) Telangana40. Rajendra Bahalkar Social worker, N A P M Maharashtra41. Katyayani VishnupriyaCounsel/Advocate Practising at High Court of Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh42. RAJKESHWAR SINGH Former State Information Commissioner, U.P. Uttar Pradesh43. Ashok Lal writer Delhi44. Adv Dr Shalu Nigam Lawyer Haryana45. Mathew Vilayasseril Kerala46. Saurav kumar Student of Law , Delhi University Delhi47. Rahul Shastri Delhi48. Prof Sanjay Ahirwal Journalism & Mass Communication Haryana49. Dr. Abey George Kerala RTI Movement Kerala50. Arpita Das Delhi51. Kirankumar Vissa National Alliance of People’s Movements Telangana52. N C Srinivasa Ex-Principal Law Secretary, Govt. Of Karnataka Karnataka53. Ekta sati Advocate Uttarakhand 54. Dr. Sanju Sadaneera Professor Rajasthan55. Kiran Dhingra IAS(Retd) Goa56. Yashna Member, Queers for Constitution collective, Delhi57. Tanvir Aeijaz Association Professor, Ramjas College, Delhi University Delhi58. Arushi Goel Delhi59. Anjali Hegde Individual Delhi60. Tanvir Aeijaz Associate Professor, Ramjas College, Delhi University Delhi61. Lalit Mohan Joshi Executive Officer/ PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Uttarakhand62. John Dayal Writer and Editor Delhi63. Tarini Sharma Student Delhi64. Aditya Vikram Chandigarh65. Prasanto K Roy Ex Nasscom (VP), ex CyberMedia (president & chief editor) Haryana66. Sebastian Morris Retd Professor, Indian Inst of Management, Ahd Goa67. Shukla Sawant SAA, JNU Delhi68. Rajendran Narayanan Concerned Citizen Karnataka69. Komal Saigal Individual Delhi70. Sudhansu Mohanty Former civil servant Karnataka71. Ram Murti Sharma Assistant Professor Delhi72. Ravi Srivastava Former Professor, JNU Delhi73. Janaki Nair Professor, retd Karnataka74. Nalini Nayak Retired Delhi75. Sukrita Paul Kumar Retd professor Delhi76. Vinoo Hora Delhi77. Ravi Vira Gupta Retired Delhi78. Meena Gupta IAS (retd) Telangana79. Kishwer Maharashtra80. Dr Manoj Dash Chairperson, India Age Care Trust Odisha81. Dipak Dholakia Loktantrik Rashtra Nirman Abhiyan Delhi82. Shubhra Verma Communication designer Uttar Pradesh 83. Prakash Louis Bihar84. Rajul Mathur Retd professor Uttar Pradesh85. RAJUL MATHUR Retd professor, Allahabad university Uttar Pradesh86. Anupam President, Yuva Halla Bol Bihar87. Madhav Arvind Deshpande Maharashtra88. Ajaz Ashraf Independent journalist Delhi89. Anjali Monteiro Filmmaker and retired academic Goa90. Dr. Girija K P Independent Researcher/Equal Representation Movement, Kerala Kerala91. Linda Chhakchhuak Concerned Citizen Meghalaya92. Amitabha Basu Retired Scientist Delhi93. Neju Ismail equal representation movement Kerala94. Harinder Jaswal Social Activist Delhi95. Arun Kumar Retd. Prof JNU Haryana96. Raynah Marise Indian Christian women’s movement Maharashtra97. Anita Cheria Karnataka98. Paul Mathew Vice Principal West Bengal99. Avinash Kumar Co-convenor Wada Na Todo Abhiyan Delhi100. Charumathi Supraja Freelance journalist Karnataka101. Neena Jacob Goa102. Francis Colaso Retd. DGP Karnataka103. Vikram Law Student Tamil Nadu104. Patricia D’Souza Professor Maharashtra105. Anil Srivastava Entrepreneur computer software Gujarat106. Adv Vertika Mani Org. Secretary, PUCL Delhi107. Anand Patwardhan Filmmaker Maharashtra108. Adv Dr Lubna Sarwath Social Activist & Ecological Economist Telangana109. Asangla Educator Delhi110. Marcia DCunha Maharashtra111. Frazer Mascarenhas Academic administrator Maharashtra112. Siddharth Activist and Designer Odisha113. Charu Potter Goa114. Ninette Dsouza Public Maharashtra 115. Geetanjali Chanda Delhi116. Prerana Desai Behtar Desh Duniya Mohim, mahila netrutva Maharashtra117. Mangal Shaharao Social worker Maharashtra118. Chhaya Basu Retired Teacher Delhi119. Veena Shatrugna Independent Researcher Karnataka120. Meera Shankar I FS Uttar Pradesh121. Rakhi Sehgal Delhi122. Hazel DLima Retd. Principal College of Social Work Maharashtra123. Nancy Vaz Maharashtra124. Raj Shekhar Activist Uttar Pradesh125. Dr Ashok Kumar Somal Loktantrik Rashter Nirman Abhiyan Himachal Pradesh126. Virginia Saldanha Indian Christian Women’s Movement Maharashtra127. Joseph Fernandez Don Bosco College Kerala128. Michael K. A. Labourer Karnataka129. M TAMIZH SELVAN Religious Priest Tamil Nadu130. Tani Merlin Alex Kerala131. George Alexander Delhi132. C. Alexander Kerala133. Roy Elavumkal Priest Kerala134. Cheryl Dsouza Advocate Delhi135. Kaushik Majumdar Professor, Indian Statistical Institute Bangalore Centre Karnataka136. Vijay Retired Karnataka137. Anil Rai Retired Government Servant Delhi138. Sara Rai Writer Uttar Pradesh139. Bhaskar Prabhu Mahiti Adhikar Manch, Convenor Maharashtra140. Sudhansu Mohanty Constitutional Conduct Group Karnataka141. Apar Gupta Advocate Delhi142. Ashok Kumar Sns Delhi143. Adheesh Telang Maharashtra144. Shruti Tambe Professor Maharashtra145. Ujwala Masdekar Rtd.Professor, member of Stree Mukti Andolan Sampark Samiti Maharashtra 146. Ashok Alawni Retired Chief Engineer Maharashtra147. Rinoy Principal Uttar Pradesh148. Niranjan Maharashtra149. Imcha Yanger Nagaland150. Anagha Bhat Behere Asst Professor Maharashtra151. Gayatri Singh Sr. Advocate Bombay High Court , NAJAR, PUCL Maharashtra152. Manju K Delhi153. Sadhana Dadhich Trustee, Nari samata manch Maharashtra154. G Shikaripur Karnataka155. Aditi Karandikar Maharashtra156. Sanjay Kulkarni Maharashtra157. Swami Nathan Tamil Nadu158. Sanjay Ramnath Jagtap Principal, Govt. ITI (Redt) Maharashtra159. Sr Mary Jacintha Human person Tamil Nadu160.Arti Zodpe Community Leader, Mahila Jagrut Sevabhavi Sanstha, Parbhani (Maharashtra)Maharashtra161. Lisa Pires Concerned Citizen Goa162. Anjuman Ara Begum Academic and activist Assam163. Varna PPVentures Delhi164. Snehal Shah Researcher Delhi165. Meenakshi Sethi Zaidi State Secretary, INC, Rajasthan Rajasthan166. Nagendra Prasad Singh President, Ram Manohar Lohiya Asharam(Trust) Bihar167. Avinash Kumar Advocate and founding member Charchagram Bihar168. Nishy George Guest lecturer Kerala169. Amara Ram Godara Social & RTI Activist Rajasthan170. Mahesh Mamindla Telangana171. Commodore Lokesh Batra (Retd.): IN – 1967,Transparency Caimpainer Uttar Pradesh172. Dr Jayanthi Thiyagarajan State Co-ordinator Shakti Abhiyan Tamilnadu Tamil Nadu 173. Subodh Lal Author, Poet, Social Activist Uttar Pradesh174. Adv (Dr) Jose Augustine Advocate Delhi175. Gautam Mody New Trade Union Initiative Not applicable176. Rohit Chaudhary Nauka foundation Delhi177. Ramesh Singh Civil engineer Haryana178. Mathew Mattam Convenor YEFi Maharashtra179. Atamjit Singh Citizens Voice Delhi180. Maansi Verma Founder, Maadhyam Delhi181. Nagmani Rao Retired and Concerned citizen Maharashtra182. Adv.Ansar Indori State Convenor : ALL India lawyer’s Association for Justice (AILAJ) Rajasthan183. Vineeta Bal Retired Scientist Maharashtra184. Indira Unninayar Advocate – Delhi High Court and Supreme Court Delhi185. Nisha Shiurkar Samajwadi Jan Parishad Maharashtra186. Leila Passah Karnataka187. Aruna Gnanadason Indian Christian Women’s Movement Karnataka188. Wandana Sonalkar Writer, translator, retired Professor, TISS, Mumbai Maharashtra189. Joycia Thorat Delhi190. Mange Ram Adhana President Association For Promotion Sustainable development Haryana191. Kalyan Dan कल्याण दानअध्यक्ष ब्लाक काांग्रेस कमेटी लूनकरणसर ( ओबीसी प्रकोष्ठ)Rajasthan192. Shilpa Phadke Maharashtra193. Reji S. ECC Karnataka194. Anirudhsinh Zala Gujarat195. Deepak Tiwari Editor GIJN Madhya Pradesh196. Daya Mathew member of Vishwodaya Trust Maharashtra197. Mohammad Noor Alam Advocate Delhi198. Dr.Musale Anand Ramdas Associate Professor Maharashtra199. Jaipal Singh Kheechi RTI. Legal Ambit zonal head MP Madhya Pradesh 200. Girish Rao Maharashtra201. Tapas Kumar Sharma Uttar Pradesh202. Rawish Sinha Phd Scholar Bihar203. JAYAMAJHI MUNDA Social activist Odisha204. Cynthia Stephen Independent journalist and civil society activist Karnataka205. Jasmin Godson Teacher Tamil Nadu206. Mitra Ranjan Right to Education Forum Delhi207. Luqman Bantwal Congress karyakartha Karnataka208. SHARAD BEHAR I A S (Retired), former chief secretary, and vice chancellorMadhya Pradesh209. Amitava Choudhury President, Information and Action for Peoples’ Right West Bengal210. Sehjo Singh climate crisis convener Rajasthan211. Sumit Chaturvedi Editor-Opinion Tandoor Uttar Pradesh212. Manzar Jameel Social Activist West Bengal213. Abhishek Naicker Unemployed Maharashtra214. Som Thomas Retired engineer Karnataka215. Madhu Bhushan Women’s Rights activist Karnataka216. विनोद कु मार अध्यक्ष जागृवि सेिा फाउांडेशन जौनपुर उत्तर प्रदेश Uttar Pradesh217. Ulka lotlikar No Goa218. Pinky Dhawan Psychologist Delhi219. Sakshi Sati Student at GGDSD College, Chandigarh Chandigarh220. Nandini Nayak Academic Delhi221. Neeraj Sharma Citizen Delhi222. Dorothy NAPM Bihar223. Sudhansu Mohanty Constitutional Conduct Group Karnataka224. Gopinath Majhi, State Convenor, Campaign for Survival and Dignity, Odisha Odisha225. Pradeep Deb Retired Secretary to GOI Rajasthan226. Amrit Gill Political Activist Punjab227. Dr Ish Kumar CCG Haryana228. Hema Chari Maharashtra 229. Bindu Prasad Consulting Psychologist. Lakshmipat Sighania Academy, Bissau Rajasthan230. Raja Chandra Law Researcher Telangana231. Jacob Nellithanam Richharia Campaign, Chhattisgarh & MP Chhattisgarh232. Jebin Cherian Karnataka233. Raju Sharma Retired Delhi234. Ashok Sharma IFS rtd, Kirti Chakra. Gujarat235. Sunita Sheel Concerned citizen Maharashtra236. Koninika Ray National Federation of Indian Women Delhi237. Ashok Amrutrao Solanke NSUI Maharashtra238. Prashant Kothadiya Founder, Forum for Constitutional Nationalism Maharashtra239. Aasha Ramesh Women’s Rights Activist researcher Karnataka240. Meera Johri Delhi241. Aasha Badami Karnataka242. Tuba Rizvi Haryana243. JWR Chinniah Retd Karnataka244. Anupama Karnataka245. Endorsed- Surendra Nath IAS (ret) Uttar Pradesh246. V K Paramanand Retired Karnataka247. Chinky Davis Delhi248. Vinod Koshy Dynamic action Kerala249. Suresh K Goel Former DG ICCR Delhi250. Geeta K Concerned Citizen Maharashtra251. Ashok Maridas Samvidhanada Haadiyalli Karnataka252. Dr. Indu Prakash Singh Facilitator, CityMakers Mission International Delhi253. Nilesh Gada Maharashtra254. Sreekala Keeramath Development Consultant Kerala255. Ritu Khanna NA Delhi256. Dr.Hazel D’Lima Retd. Principal College of Social Work, MumbaimMaharashtra257. Raghavan Srinivasan President, Lok Raj Sangathan Delhi258. Neeru Chaudhary None Delhi 259. Ashok Janmukti Sangharsh Vahini / Loktantrik Rashtranirman AbhiyanUttar Pradesh260. Kiran Sambhava injor Jharkhand261. Poonam Maharashtra262. Huma Shahper Womenite Bihar