India cabinet approves bill to reserve 3rd of parliament lower house seats for women

FILE PHOTO: A member of media works outside the India's new parliament building before its inauguration in New Delhi, India, May 28, 2023. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday the cabinet had approved a bill to reserve one-third seats in the lower house of parliament and state assemblies for women, reviving a proposal that has been hanging for decades.

The announcement by Modi during a special session of parliament comes eight months before general elections are due by May 2024.