Special Sitting and Important Bills.

1) The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on April 16, 2026. It aims to fundamentally restructure the delimitation process in India by removing long-standing freezes on seat allocation.

Key Provisions

• Lifting the Seat Freeze: Since 1976 and 2001, the number of seats each state holds in the Lok Sabha has been frozen. This Bill removes that freeze, returning to the principle that states should have seats in proportion to their actual population.

• Increase in Total Seats: The Bill proposes a significant expansion of the Lok Sabha:

  • Total Seats: Increased from 550 to 850.

  • State Representatives: Increased from 530 to 815.

  • Union Territory Representatives: Increased from 20 to 35.

• Flexible Census Selection: It removes the requirement to perform delimitation strictly after every census. Instead, Parliament will determine which published census data to use. The accompanying Delimitation Bill, 2026, suggests the 2011 Census will be used for the upcoming exercise.

• Women’s Reservation: The Bill fast-tracks the implementation of the 106th Constitutional Amendment (the 33% women’s quota). It removes the specific requirement that this reservation must wait for a delimitation based on the “first census after 2023,” allowing it to proceed sooner.

Why this matters

This move addresses the long-standing disparity where states with higher population growth were under-represented relative to their current numbers. By expanding the house to 850 members, the government aims to ensure that “all Lok Sabha constituencies across states will have roughly the same population.”

The Delimitation Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on April 16, 2026. Its primary goal is to establish a new Delimitation Commission to redraw the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on the latest census data.

1. The Delimitation Commission

The Bill allows the Central Government to form a Commission consisting of:

• A Chairperson: A retired or serving Supreme Court Judge.

• The Chief Election Commissioner (or a nominated Election Commissioner).

• The State Election Commissioner of the state being reviewed.

2. Composition and Associate Members

To assist the Commission, 10 associate members will be appointed for each state:

• Five Lok Sabha MPs from that state.

• Five members of the State Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

• Note: Associate members are nominated by their respective Speakers and can participate in discussions, but they cannot vote or sign off on final decisions.

3. Key Objectives & Criteria

• Readjustment of Seats: The Commission will determine the number of seats for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

• Geographic Logic: All constituencies must be geographically compact, respecting administrative boundaries (like districts), physical features, and public convenience.

• Consistency: Every assembly constituency must fall entirely within a single parliamentary constituency.

• Population Base: Delimitation will be based on the latest published census figures available at the time the Commission is formed.

4. Reservation of Seats

The Commission is responsible for identifying seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Women.

• SC Seats: Distributed across the state in areas where their population is relatively large.

• ST Seats: Located in areas where their population concentration is the highest.

5. Transparency and Process

The Commission must publish its draft proposals and any dissenting opinions from associate members in official gazettes. It is required to hold public sittings to listen to objections and suggestions before finalizing the new boundaries.

Impact: If passed, this Bill will repeal the Delimitation Act, 2002, and set the stage for a significant shift in India’s electoral map based on current population trends.