The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026

Source: News on Air

Summary

• Legislative Context: Introduced in Lok Sabha in April 2026 as a companion to the 131st Constitutional Amendment and the Delimitation Bill, 2026.
• Core Function: Extends the 33% women’s reservation and new delimitation rules to UTs with legislative assemblies—Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu & Kashmir.
• Key Departure: Delinks the implementation of women’s reservation from the 2027 Census, allowing it to proceed based on the 2011 Census data.
• Seat Expansion: Aligns with the increase of total UT seats in the Lok Sabha from 20 to 35 members.
• Nomination Changes: Increases nominated seats in the Puducherry Assembly (from 3 to 5) and J&K Assembly (from 2 to 3), with specific mandates for women’s representation.

Harmonizing the Legal Framework

While the 131st Constitutional Amendment sets the stage for national expansion and reservation, this specific Bill amends three fundamental UT-related acts to ensure there is no legal vacuum at the territory level:

1. Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 (Puducherry).
2. Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991.
3. Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.

Delimitation and Seat Determination

The Bill empowers the newly formed Delimitation Commission to readjust constituencies in these UTs. Crucially, it shifts the baseline:

• Census Baseline: Instead of waiting for the post-2026 census, delimitation will be based on the latest published census (2011).
• Seat Floor: The Commission will determine the final number of seats, ensuring they are not less than the current numbers: Delhi (70), Puducherry (30), and J&K (114).

Women’s Reservation (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam)

The 33% (one-third) reservation for women is now “fast-tracked” for UTs.

• Rotational Allocation: Reserved seats will be rotated across constituencies in successive elections to ensure broad representation.
• Nominated Seats:
  • Puducherry: Central government nomination limit increased to 5 members, of which 2 must be women.
  • Jammu & Kashmir: Lieutenant Governor’s nomination for women representation increased to 3 members.

Structural Changes in Representation

As part of the broader parliamentary expansion, the Lok Sabha’s total strength is proposed to rise to 850. The UTs’ collective share is raised to 35 seats, and this Bill ensures that the specific UT statutes are updated to reflect this higher limit.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Q1. The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 primarily modifies the governance laws of which UTs?

A) Chandigarh, Lakshadweep, and Ladakh.

B) Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu & Kashmir.

C) Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu.

D) All 8 Union Territories of India.

Q2. According to the Bill, which census will be used as the basis for the next delimitation exercise in these UTs?

A) 1971 Census

B) 2001 Census

C) 2011 Census

D) 2027 Census

Q3. For the Puducherry Assembly, the Bill proposes to increase the number of nominated members to 5. How many of these must be women?

A) 1

B) 2

C) 3

D) 5

Q4. What is the new maximum number of representatives from Union Territories in the Lok Sabha as per the 131st Constitutional Amendment and this Bill?

A) 20

B) 25

C) 35

D) 50

Q5. The Bill ensures that women’s reservation in UT assemblies follows which specific mechanism to ensure fairness over time?

A) Fixed seats for 50 years.

B) Selection by a special committee.

C) Rotational allotment across constituencies.

D) Only applying to nominated seats.

Answers:

Q1: B | Q2: C | Q3: B | Q4: C | Q5: C