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?

Assertion (A) states that reservation of seats for women in Parliament and State Legislatures does not require a Constitutional amendment. This is false. Any reservation of seats based on categories like gender, affecting the composition of the legislatures as laid out in the Constitution, requires a formal amendment to the Constitution. The proposed Women's Reservation Bill (now enacted as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) required and was passed as a Constitutional Amendment Act (106th Amendment).Reason (R) states that political parties can allocate 33% of seats they contest to women candidates without any Constitutional amendment. This is true. Political parties have the freedom to decide whom they field as candidates in elections. They can voluntarily reserve or allocate a certain percentage of tickets to women candidates based on their own party policies, without needing any constitutional or legal mandate to do so.