The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-first Amendment) Bill, 2026, has been introduced to fundamentally update how India is represented in Parliament and State Assemblies.
For decades, the number of seats in these houses has been frozen based on 1971 population figures to encourage states to control population growth. Over time, this has led to disparities where some MPs represent millions more people than others. This Bill removes the "freeze" and allows for a fresh count based on the latest published census.
A second major objective is to operationalise "Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam" (Women's Reservation). Previously, the law required waiting for a future census to be completed before women could get their 33% share of seats. This new Bill changes the rules so that reservation can start as soon as a delimitation exercise is finished using the population data already available.
To support this transition, the Bill proposes to expand the Lok Sabha to 850 seats, including 815 from States and 35 from Union Territories.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, 2026 function as two halves of a single administrative engine. While the Constitutional Amendment changes the legal rules, the Delimitation Bill provides the technical tools to carry them out. Both Bills are specifically designed to "trigger" the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation).
Key Changes to the Constitution
Expansion of Lok Sabha: Maximum strength increased to 850 members (815 States + 35 UTs).
Removal of Seat Freeze: Deletes the third provisos to Articles 82 and 170, ending restrictions on seat readjustment.
Updated Definition of Population: Revises references in Articles 55, 81, 82, 170, 330, and 332 to reflect the latest census adopted by Parliament.
Women’s Reservation Activation: Substitutes Article 334A to enable immediate implementation of 33% reservation post-delimitation.
Reservation Duration: Confirms a 15-year period for women’s reservation, subject to extension by Parliament.
Seat Rotation: Mandates rotation of reserved constituencies across successive elections.
Tribal Representation: Updates provisions for Scheduled Tribes, including protections for North-Eastern states such as Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland.
What is a "Constitutional Amendment"?
A Constitutional Amendment is a formal change to the highest law of the land, the Constitution of India. Because the Constitution provides the basic rules for how the country is run, changing it requires a much more rigorous process than passing a normal law.
For the 131st Amendment, the government must get a "special majority" in Parliament because it alters the fundamental structure of how Indians are represented and how power is shared between the Center and the States.
Policy Relevance
Fixes Representational Gaps: By moving away from 1971 data, the Bill ensures that regions with high population growth and rapid urbanisation finally get the number of representatives they deserve.
Fast-Tracks Gender Parity: It removes the "waiting period" for women's reservation, potentially allowing women to take their one-third share in the next general election rather than waiting for another decade.
Updates Presidential Elections: By redefining "population" in Article 55, it ensures that the weight of votes cast by MLAs and MPs in Presidential elections stays consistent with the new seat counts.
Balances Regional Needs: While increasing seats, the Bill maintains specific protections for Scheduled Tribes in sensitive border states to ensure they are not overlooked during the reorganisation.
Supports 'Viksit Bharat': The government frames this as a step toward a more inclusive and modern democracy, which is essential for India’s long-term goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Follow the Full Text here: The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026