A quota undone by caution
On the evening of April 17th, as rain pattered on the Parliament complex, a small knot of women MPs from the ruling BJP-led coalition raised slogans under sodden umbrellas. Their protest was theatrical but heartfelt: the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, had just been defeated in the Lok Sabha. It was the first time in 12 years that a constitutional amendment introduced by Narendra Modi’s government had fallen short. The numbers were unambiguous: 298 votes in favour, 230 against. A two-thirds majority of those present and voting—some 352—was required. The bill failed by a wide margin. The legislation had been…