UPSC Key: Procedure for Constitutional Amendment, Gig Workers and Import-Export

Key Points to Ponder:

• Know about Articles 55, 81, 82, 170, 330, 332 and 334A.

• Why amendments to seven key Articles of the Constitution?

• What is the constitutional amendment bill in India?

• How is a constitution amendment Bill passed?

• What is the procedure for amendment?

• Is a constitutional amendment bill can be introduced in Rajya Sabha?

• What Article 368 of the Constitution says?

• Does the constitutional amendment bill require prior permission of the president?

• ‘The constitution amendment Bill must be passed in each House by a special majority’-what is special majority?

• The Article 368 of the Constitution provides for two types of amendments-what are those?

• Amendment by simple majority of the Parliament and Amendment by special majority of the Parliament-Compare and Contrast

• What are the criticisms to Parliament’s amending power?

Key Takeaways:

• According to sources, these broadly fall under sections pertaining to the Executive – most specifically to the election of the President and Vice President of India – to the composition of legislatures, including the Parliament and State Assemblies, and to ‘Special Provisions’ relating to certain classes which provide for reservation for Scheduled Classes and Tribes.

• Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will introduce The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty First Amendment) Bill 2026, as per the List of Business published on the Lok Sabha website on Wednesday.

• According to the agenda of proceedings for the day, this will be followed by Home Minister Amit Shah tabling The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill 2026.

• Megwhal is also scheduled to move The Delimitation Bill 2026, which seeks to provide for the readjustment of the allocation of Lok Sabha seats to the States and UTs, the total number of seats in the Legislative Assembly of each State and UTs.

Do You Know:

• Article 55, which pertains to the ‘Manner of election of President’ pertains to “uniformity in the scale of representation of the different States at the election of the President” as far as “practicable” as well as uniformity and parity between states and the Centre. It also lays down the procedure for the election of the President by the members of an electoral college consisting of the elected members of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies and the number of votes these electors are entitled to cast.

• Article 81, pertaining to ‘Composition of the House of the People’, provides for the Lok Sabha consisting of “…not more than 530 members chosen by direct election from territorial constituencies in the States, and … not more than 20 members to represent the UTs, chosen in such manner as Parliament may by law provide”.

• Article 82, which provides for ‘Readjustment after each census’, states that upon the completion of each census, the allocation of Lok Sabha seats to the States and the division of each State into territorial constituencies “shall be readjusted by such authority and in such manner as Parliament may by law determine”.

• Article 170 deals with the ‘Composition of the Legislative Assemblies’, while Article 330 pertains to reservations in the Lok Sabha for the SCs and the STs (except the STs in the autonomous districts of Assam). Article 332 relates to reservation of seats for SCs and STs in the Legislative Assemblies.

• Article 334 pertains to ‘Reservation of seats and special representation to cease after a certain period’ both in case of those reserved for SCs and STs as well as the representation of the Anglo-Indian community in the Lok Sabha and in the Legislative Assemblies of the States by nomination. The Article provides for the ceasing of these reservations in 80 and 70 years, respectively, “from the commencement of this Constitution”.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Simply Put: The Amendment procedure

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1) Consider the following subjects under the Constitution of India: (UPSC CSE, 2025)
I. List I – Union List, in the Seventh Schedule
II. Extent of the executive power of a State
III. Conditions of the Governor’s office
For a constitutional amendment with respect to which of the above, ratification by the legislatures of not less than one-half of the States is required before the Bill is presented to the President for assent?
a. I and II only
b. II and III only
c. I and III only
d. I, II and III

2) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2022)
1. A bill amending the Constitution requires a prior recommendation of the President of India.
2. When a Constitution Amendment Bill is presented to the President of India, it is obligatory for the President of India to give his/her assent.
3. A Constitution Amendment Bill must be passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha by a special majority and there is no provision for joint sitting.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

3) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2013)
1. An amendment to the Constitution of India can be initiated by an introduction of a bill in the Lok Sabha only.
2. If such an amendment seeks to make changes in the federal character of the Constitution, the amendment also requires to be ratified by the legislature of all the States of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Nation

Wang Yi, Lavrov to attend BRICS meet on May 14-15

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: Amid the shaky ceasefire between Iran and the US and negotiations in Islamabad to reach a deal to end the war entered a deadlock, India is likely to host the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting on May 14-15, sources said on Wednesday, which is expected to be attended by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Key Points to Ponder:

• BRICS-Know in detail

• Map Work-BRICS Countries

• BRICS and Iran War-know in detail

• How BRICS nation reacted to Iran War?

• What efforts BRICS has taken to de-escalate the War?

• Evolution of BRICS-Know in Detail

• Evolution of BRICS from Russia-China (RC) to Russia-India-China (RIC) to Brazil- Russia-India-China (BRIC) to Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) to BRICS 2.0

• What is the Fortaleza Declaration?

• Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Economy-Key Features

• RIC (Russia-India-China) out of BRICS-Significance and Stature in World Politics?

• Why BRICS Matters?

• The geopolitics of BRICS looks quite different today-how?

Key Takeaways:

• Depending on the conflict’s situation, Iran Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi might join the meeting in May — either in person or
virtually.

• Senior officials of the BRICS countries are in touch with each other for the Foreign ministers’ meeting, which will ultimately lead to the BRICS leaders’ summit in India, which holds the rotational presidency of the grouping for 2026, later this year.

• Apart from the war, the BRICS Foreign Ministers are set to discuss the value and importance of multilateral and multipolarity in the international order — something which has been threatened by US President Donald Trump. Trump has not been well-disposed towards the BRICS, and had last year threatened an additional 10% tariff on “any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS”. During a meeting with Argentine Prime Minister Javier Milei at the White House last year, Trump had said “BRICS was an attack on the dollar”.

• In the coming weeks, how New Delhi treads the diplomatic minefield as it prepares to host the BRICS meeting will be something to watch out for.

• In March, Iran had reached out to Delhi to take the lead in issuing a statement on behalf of the BRICS, condemning the US and Israeli strikes against Iran in the last two weeks. This has put Delhi in a diplomatic pickle since it has stayed away from taking sides during the ongoing conflict.

Do You Know:

• The BRICS grouping, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Iran joined the expanded grouping BRICS Plus in 2024. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which have faced Iranian attacks for hosting US bases involved in the war, are also members of BRICS+. The BRICS grouping includes India, Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran.

• Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which host American bases and personnel, have been targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. The fact that all three countries entangled in the West Asia war are members of the bloc has made diplomatic navigation difficult for India.

• India has pitched BRICS as a “non-west” platform, and will face a challenge of diplomatically balancing between the US and rest of the West on one side, and China-Russia on the other. The West Asia war has now deepened the divide — with Iran and the UAE on opposing sides.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Iran war: BRICS should step in and restrain the US and Israel

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4) Consider the following statements with regard to BRICS: (UPSC CSE, 2025)
I. The 16th BRICS Summit was held under the Chairship of Russia in Kazan.
II. Indonesia has become a full member of BRICS.
III. The theme of the 16th BRICS Summit was Strengthening Multiculturalism for Just Global Development and Security.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) I and II
(b) II and III
(c) I and III
(d) I only

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Compare the significance of IBSA and BRICS in the context of India’s multilateral diplomacy. (2012)

India calls for unimpeded, safe maritime transport

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: Calling the attacks on merchant shipping “completely unacceptable”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar underlined India’s “strong commitment to safe and unimpeded transit passage of maritime shipping”. This was a reference to the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the Asia Zero Emission Community?

• What is Asia Energy Transition Initiative?

• What are the major highlights of AZEC Plus — Asia Zero Emission Community?

• India -Japan bilateral relations-know in detail

• What is India’s position on the Iran war?

• Why Strait of Hormuz is strategically important for India?

• US naval blockade of Strait of Hormuz-How India has reacted?

• What does the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by US mean for the world?

• What is a blockade?

• What the main difference between “territorial waters” and “international waters”?

• The Strait of Hormuz falls under territorial waters or international waters?

• What are the international legal framework that governs maritime passage and maritime combat?

• What is United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)?

• What United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) says about Strait of Hormuz?

• What is the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT)?

Key Takeaways:

• He participated in the AZEC Plus — Asia Zero Emission Community — meeting convened by Japan to discuss supply chain disruptions in the energy markets.

• Later in the evening, US President Donald Trump said that he was “permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz”.

• After the meeting, Jaishankar posted on X: “Underlined India’s strong commitment to safe and unimpeded transit passage of maritime shipping. Attacks on merchant shipping are completely unacceptable. Global growth demands that energy markets are not constricted. As a major energy consumer, India will work with like-minded partners to develop supply chain resilience.”

• Japan’s Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae hosted an online meeting with leaders and representatives from Asian countries including Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) partners and other Asian countries, as well as key international organizations, to discuss the current concerns about energy and resource supply shortage and measures for energy resilience of the countries.

• According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Prime Minister Takaichi said that the “countries most affected by disruptions in the supply of energy and resources passing through the Strait of Hormuz are those in Asia, and it is necessary for Asian countries to work together in responding to this shared challenge because these impacts extend to all countries closely connected through supply chains”.

Do You Know:

• AZEC Plus (Asia Zero Emission Community Plus) is a Japan-led initiative launched in April 2026 as an enhanced, urgent extension of the original AZEC framework to address immediate energy security threats in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific, exacerbated by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

• It acts as a high-level, online summit platform connecting Japan with ASEAN nations (including Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam) and Australia to coordinate on both long-term decarbonization and urgent, short-term energy supply resilience.

• The meeting was convened by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in April 2026, amid reports of a blockade of Iranian ports and tensions in the Persian Gulf, which threatened to cut off oil supplies.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍US announces Iran port blockade: The laws governing passage through the Strait of Hormuz

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
5) With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2022)
1. A coastal state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baseline determined in accordance with the convention.
2. Ships of all states, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.
3. The Exclusive Economic Zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

The Editorial Page

In workers’ protests, a test of labour reforms

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

What’s the ongoing story: Farzana Afridi Writes-Strengthening enforcement mechanisms is the most critical priority. A persistent challenge in India’s labour market is the weak enforcement of regulations, especially in the informal sector.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Who are Gig Workers?

• Who gave the concept of gig economy?

• What are the key points of the gig economy?

• What is Gig Economy?

• NITI Aayog’s report ‘India’s Booming Gig and Platform Economy’-Key highlights

• What were some of NITI Aayog’s observations?

• What do you understand by ‘female labour force participation’?

• What are NITI Aayog’s recommendations for the gig economy?

• NITI Aayog’s recommendations-Know its significance

• Workforce engaged in the gig economy in India-Know in detail

• Gig Workers in India-Issues and Challenges

• Labour Laws and Reforms in Labour laws in India

• Know about National Commission on Labour’s recommendations and its implementation

• Supreme Court of India on gig Workers-know in detail

• Unorganised Workers and Gig Workers-Key Differences?

• Code on Wages, 2019-Key Provisions

• Industrial Relations Code, 2020-Key Features

• Code on Social Security, 2020-Key Features

• Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions, 2020-Key Features

• Labour laws fall under which list of the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution?

Key Takeaways:
Farzana Afridi Writes-

• The recent strike by gig workers and the protest by factory workers in UP against low wages and poor working conditions underlie the operational challenges of labour reforms in the country.

• The four labour codes — Code on Wages, Code on Social Security, Industrial Relations Code, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code — represent a major attempt to rationalise India’s complex labour regulatory framework. Their impact on employment and wages is expected to be incremental, with outcomes that are heterogeneous across sectors, firm sizes, and worker categories.

• While the employment effects will be largely compositional through shifts in type and quality of employment, the productivity effects are likely to be moderately positive, depending critically on implementation quality. Against this backdrop, the policy implications become central to realising the potential gains of these reforms.

• Specifically, the Code on Wages may correct wage suppression and reduce wage inequality at the lower end of the wage distribution. However, its effectiveness depends on where the national floor wage is set, relative to the current market wage.

• In terms of labour productivity, the codes create enabling conditions for improvement through better worker protection, reduced compliance, and more efficient labour allocation. Large firms are likely to benefit most, as they can absorb compliance costs while gaining from reduced worker turnover, improved health outcomes, and better workforce stability.

• In contrast, SMEs may face disproportionate compliance burdens, which can offset any labour productivity gains. Given these dynamics, the policy implications are crucial for ensuring that the labour codes translate into meaningful improvements in work conditions, wages and labour productivity.

• First, strengthening enforcement mechanisms is the critical priority. A persistent challenge in India’s labour market is the weak enforcement of regulations, especially in the informal sector where the majority of workers are employed.

• Second, careful calibration of wage policy is necessary. The national floor wage should be set at a level that is binding yet sustainable, taking into account regional variations in cost of living and sectoral differences in productivity.

• Third, there is a strong need to support small and medium enterprises, which form the backbone of India’s employment structure but are also the most vulnerable to regulatory costs.

• Fourth, expanding and deepening social security coverage is essential. Thresholds for schemes such as EPF and ESIC have eroded in real terms and exclude a large share of the workforce.

• Fifth, policymakers must address threshold-based distortions that discourage firms from scaling up. Regulatory thresholds continue to create incentives for firms to stay small or fragment operations to avoid compliance. Smoother, graduated frameworks can encourage firm growth.

• Sixth, labour reforms should be complemented by skill development and human capital investment. Higher wages and better working conditions must be supported by corresponding improvements in worker productivity. This requires expanding access to vocational training, strengthening industry-academia linkages, and promoting continuous skill upgrading.

• Eighth, improving administrative coordination and institutional integration is vital. Moving toward a true single-window system for compliance and benefit delivery can reduce transaction costs and improve user experience. Greater coordination between central and state governments is also necessary to avoid regulatory fragmentation and ensure uniform implementation.

Do You Know:
Soumyarendra Barik Writes-

• As a broader wave of labour unrest sweeps across India, a quieter but significant protest unfolded on its margins, as gig workers – among them women workers from Urban Company and delivery riders powering the country’s quick-commerce boom – downed tools to press for fairer pay and basic protections. Their action, less visible but no less urgent, reflects a growing assertion among platform workers that the promise of flexibility cannot come at the cost of dignity, even as the wider movement gathers momentum.

• Many things have led them here, but two stand out: the deepening precarity of gig work, and the rise of a ‘phantom boss’ that governs it. For years, platform workers have operated in a legal grey zone, with little by way of protections and guarantees of grievance redressal, even as the sector has expanded rapidly. At the same time, the algorithm, deciding everything from job allocation to ratings and incentives, has become an unseen supervisor, shaping incomes and working hours in ways workers say are opaque, unpredictable, and difficult to challenge.

• Arguments that delivery workers earn more money than those in other sectors, miss a key nuance: the precarious nature of this work. Every single hour these workers spend protesting for their rights is time lost at work – that directly translates to zero earnings in that period.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Fighting precarity and a phantom boss, gig workers see hope in labour stir

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
6) Disguised unemployment generally means (UPSC CSE, 2013)
(a) large number of people remain unemployed
(b) alternative employment is not available
(c) marginal productivity of labour is zero
(d) productivity of workers is low

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Examine the role of ‘Gig Economy’ in the process of empowerment of women in India. ( 2021)

Economy

March trade deficit eases to $21bn; goods export grew by 1% in FY26

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story: The goods trade deficit in March eased marginally to $20.67 billion compared to $21.69 billion during March last year, driven by a sharp decline in imports of petroleum products as well as exports of rice, gems & jewellery and electronic goods to the West Asia region, data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry showed.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What do you understand by the term ‘Import’ and ‘Export’?

• How Importing and Exporting Impacts the Economy?

• How Import and Export effects on Gross Domestic Product?

• What is Foreign Trade of India?

• What is the total value of India’s exports and imports?

• Which is higher-exports or imports?

• What are the important Export and Import Items in India?

• India Imports and Exports maximum from/to which Country(ies)?

• Know the Basics-Trade Balance, Trade Deficit, Current Account Deficit, Balance of Payment

• How ongoing war is affecting India’s import and export performance?

Key Takeaways:

• While India’s goods exports in March slipped by 7.4% to $38.92 billion compared to $42.05 billion in March last year, imports declined 6.9% to $59.59 compared to $63.74 billion, data showed.

• “The key reason for the impact on trade is the West Asia crisis. Exports to the West Asia region slipped by 57.95% and imports by 51.64%. Our monthly exports to the West Asia region were about $6 billion, which has come down to $3.5 billion. Due to the crisis, April could also be a tough month, but our export industry is quick to adapt,” Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal said.

• Agrawal said total exports during the last financial year crossed $860 billion, about 4.22% higher compared to the previous year. The imports driven primarily by gold prices also surged by 6.7% to $974 billion. “There have been trade challenges during the last financial year due to tariffs, but goods exports have surged by 1% to $441 billion compared to the previous financial year,” Agarwal said.

• Data showed that imports from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Qatar in March slipped 66.32%, 37.32%, 64.30% and 47.89%, respectively. Exports to the UAE also declined by 61.93% and to Saudi Arabia by 45.67%. However, exports even to the US slipped by 20%.

• Most labour-intensive sectors registered a steep decline in exports during March. While gems and jewellery exports slipped by nearly 30%, readymade garments declined 19%. Drugs and pharma exports also slipped by 19% in March.

• Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President S.C. Ralhan said that the increase in exports during the last financial year was driven by a diversified basket comprising engineering goods, petroleum products, electronics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, textiles, gems and jewellery, rice and marine products, further strengthening India’s position in global value chains.

• Pankaj Chadha, Chairman, Engineering Exports Promotion Council (EEPC), said that the West Asia conflict that started on February 28 has caused serious supply chain disruptions, leading to a spike in energy prices. “Prices of several raw materials have seen an upward trend and an inflationary trend. The WPI-based inflation in March reached almost a three-year high of 3.88%. In light of the above, we remain cautiously optimistic about the engineering exports growth outlook in FY27,” Chadha said.

Do You Know:

• According to PIB, India’s total exports (Merchandise and Services combined) for March 2026 is estimated at US$ 74.11 Billion, registering a negative growth of (-) 4.58 percent vis-à-vis March 2025. Total imports (Merchandise and Services combined) for March 2026 is estimated at US$ 76.55 Billion, registering a negative growth of (-) 5.76 percent vis-à-vis March 2025.

• India’s total exports during FY 2025-26 (April-March) is estimated at US$ 860.09 Billion registering a positive growth of 4.22 percent. Total imports during FY 2025-26 (April-March) is estimated at US$ 979.40 Billion registering a growth of 6.47 percent.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Udit Misra writes: India must widen, and deepen, its export pool to offset Trump’s tariffs

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
7) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2024)
Statement-I: India does not import apples from the United States of America.
Statement-II: In India, the law prohibits the import of Genetically Modified food without the approval of the competent authority.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
(c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
(d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

8) The balance of payments of a country is a systematic record of (UPSC CSE, 2013)
(a) All import and export transactions of a country during a given period of time, normally a year
(b) Goods exported from a country during a year
(c) Economic transaction between the government of one country to another
(d) Capital movements from one country to another

Explained

The twin moves that will reshape Indian democracy

What’s the ongoing story: Parliament’s Budget Session is reconvening today for three days to decide on giving effect to two landmark Constitutional changes that will reshape Indian democracy.

Key Points to Ponder:

• The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026-What are the key takeaways?

• The Delimitation Bill, 2026-What are the key provisions?

• The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025-Why this bill?

• How the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws
(Amendment) Bill, 2025 different from the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023?

• Which article in the constitution decides the composition of Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha?

• What Article 81 of the Constitution says?

• What Article 82 of the Constitution says?

• What will be the size of the Lok Sabha?

• What does it say on proportional representation to states?

• What does it say on future delimitations?

• What is delimitation?

• Why delimitation is required for the implementation of women reservation?

• How demographic shifts and variations in fertility rates among states influence political representation in India?

• What are the impact of population-based representation on economic development and governance?

• Should economic contribution and governance parameters be considered in delimitation?

• Women’s Reservation in the parliament-How will it be implemented?

• Women’s Reservation in the parliament and in the legislative assembly-what are the key highlights?

Key Takeaways:

• The first is a Constitutional amendment to increase the number of seats in Lok Sabha to up to 850 from the present 543. Accompanying it will be a Bill to constitute a Delimitation Commission to carve out the new Parliamentary constituencies.

• The government has tethered the delimitation exercise to the second landmark change — the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act, which seeks to reserve one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and the state Assemblies for women.

• The Women’s Reservation Act was passed through another Constitutional amendment in 2023 but had been kept in abeyance till the seats in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies were increased through the long-pending delimitation exercise.

How Lok Sabha representation may change.

• This dual move — the increase in seats in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, and 33% reservation for women in these legislatures — represents one of the most fundamental changes in Indian democracy since Independence. These changes seek to make the Indian democratic system more representative, inclusive and equitable.

Do You Know:

• Women’s reservation had already become a part of the Constitution in 2023. All that was left was its actual implementation in the elections. This implementation had been linked to the delimitation exercise, which seemed feasible only after 2027 after the publication of the results of the Census that had been set in motion earlier this year.

• Article 82 of the Constitution provides for ‘readjustment’ of constituencies of Lok Sabha and the state Assemblies after every Census. The readjustment can lead to a change in the number of seats or a change in boundaries of constituencies. This is done to account for the changes in population over time, the main idea being that the value of the vote cast by every voter across the country has a similar value or weight.

• A Lok Sabha MP, for example, should, broadly speaking, represent a similar number of people, irrespective of whether he or she is elected from Bihar or Tamil Nadu. That means that the population of every constituency should, as far as possible, be similar. For this reason, Article 81 says the number of Lok Sabha seats allocated to every state should be such that “the ratio between that number and the population of the state is, so far as practicable, the same for all states”. This principle applies in the case of state Assemblies as well.

• The delimitation exercise has not been held since 1976, mainly owing to objections by some states that this tended to put them at a disadvantage. States whose populations have grown at a slower rate feared that their allocation in the Lok Sabha, proportionately speaking, would come down compared to states whose populations grew at a faster rate.

• As a result of these objections, the delimitation exercise was frozen for 25 years through a Constitutional amendment in 1976. In the year 2001, when this period ended, the freeze was extended for another 25 years, till 2026, through another Constitutional amendment. This government had made its intention clear about not extending the freeze any further, even though the states with slow-growing populations have expressed concerns about the population differential becoming more acute in the intervening years.

• The government sought to break the political stalemate by offering to maintain the existing proportion in the allocation of seats to different states, while increasing the total number of seats to accommodate for the growth of population in the last 50 years. In repeated public statements, the government said it would increase the existing allocations by a fixed percentage — 50% — so that the overall proportion between the states is unchanged.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Govt plan: Keep south share unchanged in LS, list each state’s new count in ‘schedule

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
9) How many Delimitation Commissions have been constituted by the Government of India till December 2023? (UPSC CSE, 2024)
a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1.(a)  2.(b)  3.(d)  4.(a)  5.(d) 6.(c) 7.(d) 8.(a) 9.(d)

  

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