Finance
The Union government released with MPs on Tuesday the text of the Constitution (131 modification) Bill, 2026, or the planned modification to the Women Reservation Bill, which intends to increase Lok Sabha seats to 850, including members from States and Union Territories.
The Bill sets a limit of 815 members elected directly from state constituencies.
For UTs, the Bill states, “Not more than 35 members to represent the Union Territories, chosen in such manner as Parliament may by law provide” .
Currently, there are 530 Lok Sabha members from the states and 20 from the union territories. However, a delimitation panel set the figure as 543.
Another important amendment suggested in the Bill is the definition of population, which gives Parliament the authority to decide which data should be used as the basis for expanding the number of seats.
The Bill proposes changing clause (3) of Article 81 of the Constitution to read, “(3) In this article, the expression ‘population’ means the population as ascertained at such census, as Parliament may by law determine, of which the relevant figures have been published.”
The Union Cabinet recently approved a Bill proposing to modify the Constitution to expedite the implementation of a 33% quota for women in Lok Sabha and Assemblies, as well as an increase in the number of seats in the lower house of Parliament.
The amending Bill also suggests changing “Upon the completion of each census, the allocation of seats” to “The allocation of seats”.
The proposed modification would remove the quota’s relation to the 2027 Census and instead base it on the 2011 Census, allowing it to be implemented before the 2029 general elections.
Article 82 of the amended Bill also provides a function for the Delimitation Commission.
The Bill specifies that in article 82 (c) of the Constitution, “for the words ‘by such authority and in such manner’, the words ‘in such manner and on the basis of such census, by the Delimitation Commission’, shall be substituted”.
Earlier in the day, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju asserted that there is “nothing controversial” in the proposed amendment to the Women’s Reservation Bill and appealed to all political parties to support it without politicising the issue.
Speaking to IANS, Rijiju said, “The issue of women’s reservation cannot be made a political matter in any form. If we give it a political angle, it would be an injustice to women.”
“The Prime Minister has made a very simple and clear appeal to rise above party politics. The Nari Shakti Adhiniyam (Women’s Reservation Act) is a law that all parties supported and passed unanimously. Now, we have called for a special session to make a constitutional amendment to implement it,” said Rijiju.
The government has called a special three-day Parliament session beginning April 16 to consider and pass the “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam”.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a three-line whip to all of its Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, directing them to remain in the House from April 16 to 18 during the forthcoming parliament session.
