It has given 1/3 reservation to the women in local bodies(panchayati raj). When the provisions for reservations of seats for women were being debated in parliament, several members were doubtful that such large numbers of women would come forward to contest these seats. But these doubts proved to be wrong.In total, for over one million seats reserved for women in all the local bodies, more than five million women candidates contested. Thus, on an average, there were five women candidates contesting each seat. Moreover, some women condition won unreserved or general seats, defeating their male rivals. Of course, such cases were not many, but they were no less significant.It needs to be mentioned that the reservation of seats for women (and for SCs and STs) concerns not only members but also office-bearers. Thus, not only one-third of elected members but one-third of sarpanches or chairpersons have also to be women.In the country as a whole, there are approx 231,630 gram panchayats (village councils). Over 77,210 of them now have women as sarpanches. At the intermediate level, there are 5,912 taluka (or block/mandal) panchayat samitis. More than 1,970 of them have women sabhapatis or heads and of the 594 zilla parishads” (district councils) 200 have women presidents. Thus, in the country as a whole, about one million women now occupy positions as members or heads in rural and urban local government bodies. This may be unique in the world.