Assertion (A) : The reservation of thirty-three per cent of seats for women in Parliament and State Legislatures does not require Constitutional amendment. Reason (R) : Political parties contesting elections can allocate thirty-three per cent of seats they contest to women candidates without any Constitutional amendment. In the context of the above two statements, which one of the following is correct ?

The correct answer is Option 4 because Assertion (A) is false, while Reason (R) is true.

Assertion (A) is false: Reserving seats in the Parliament and State Legislatures requires a mandatory Constitutional Amendment. Articles 81 and 170, which govern the composition of these bodies, must be amended to provide for a reserved quota. This was recently executed through the 106th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam).

Reason (R) is true: There is no legal or constitutional bar preventing a political party from voluntarily allocating 33% (or any percentage) of its election tickets to women. This is an internal policy decision of the party and does not require any change to the Constitution of India. While this increases women's participation, it is distinct from a legislative "reservation" of seats, which ensures that only women can contest from specific constituencies.