131st Constitution Amendment Bill 2026: 850-Seat Lok Sabha
Why in the news
A Bill described as the biggest structural change to Parliament in over 50 years proposes a larger Lok Sabha, immediate delimitation and quicker women’s reservation. It also revives the debate on population versus development.
Key facts
- Articles amended: 81, 82 and 334A.
- House size: ceiling of 850 = 815 State seats + 35 Union Territory seats.
- Delimitation: the 84th Amendment (2001) had frozen it until the first Census after 2026; the Bill deletes this proviso in Article 82, so latest published data (2011 Census) can redraw boundaries at once.
- Women’s quota: Article 334A is amended so the one-third reservation takes effect once the 2026 delimitation is finished, not after a post-2026 Census.
- Rotation: reserved seats rotate among constituencies in a State/UT after each delimitation.
- Ratio correction: a bigger House lowers citizens per MP, a figure that has swelled since the 1971 freeze.
Population versus development
Article 81(2)(a) ties a State’s seats to its population. On an 850-seat House using the 2011 Census, shares would shift as below.
| Group | Current share | Share under 850 seats |
|---|---|---|
| Hindi heartland (UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan) | 38.1% | 43.1% |
| Five southern States | 24.3% | 20.7% |
- Driver: Total Fertility Rate (TFR); replacement level is 2.1.
- Kerala and Tamil Nadu: TFR 1.5-1.8. Bihar 3.0, Meghalaya 2.9, Uttar Pradesh 2.4.
- States that met population goals risk losing parliamentary voice.
Delimitation Commission 2026
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Chair | Serving or retired Supreme Court Judge |
| Ex-officio members | Chief Election Commissioner and State Election Commissioners |
| Associate members | 5 MPs and 5 MLAs per State, without voting rights |
| Orders | Published in the Gazette; carry force of law; cannot be challenged in any court |
Exam angle
- Articles: 81 (seat allocation), 82 (delimitation), 334A (women’s reservation).
- Numbers: 850, 815, 35; 84th Amendment, 2001; replacement TFR 2.1.
- Commission chaired by a Supreme Court Judge; its orders are not justiciable.