Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026: Delimitation Reform and Women’s Reservation Explained

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 proposes ending the delimitation freeze to revise State Assembly size and constituency boundaries based on updated population data.

UPSC Online Courses

Key Provisions of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026

• Removal of Freeze: Deletes the 1976 freeze under Article 170, enabling fresh seat readjustment after a future Census.
• Redefining Population Basis: “Population” for seat allocation will be based on a Census specified by Parliament.
• Change in Assembly Size: Total number of seats in State Assemblies to vary according to demographic changes.
• Women’s Reservation Operationalisation: Implements 33% reservation for women (via Article 334A) post-delimitation, with rotational allocation for 15 years.
• Safeguards for Tribal Representation: Ensures ST seat share is not reduced, especially in Northeastern States like Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland.

Need for the Proposed Amendments

• Ensuring Equal Representation: Population changes since 1971 have distorted the “one person, one vote” principle.
• Updating Electoral Boundaries: Urbanisation and migration require rational redrawing of constituencies.
• Enabling Women’s Political Participation: Delimitation is necessary to implement women’s reservation effectively.
• Addressing Regional Imbalance: Reallocation of seats ensures fair representation across States.
• Strengthening Federal Democracy: Improves legitimacy and responsiveness of representative institutions.

Click to Know UPSC Coaching Centres in India

Check Out UPSC CSE Books

Visit PW Store

DOWNLOAD PDF