The Indian government has introduced bills to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 850, with a third of the seats reserved for women. The move aims to implement a 50% women's quota in the country's parliament by 2029. The bills, which include The Delimitation Bill, 2026, and The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-first Amendment) Bill, 2026, propose to use the 2011 census data for delimitation and seat allocation. The government has assured that no state will lose seats, and the proportional representation of states will be maintained.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the legislative push as the most significant one of the 21st Century for India. The move has raised concerns among southern states, which fear a reduction in their proportional representation in the Lok Sabha. The government has clarified that the delimitation commission will take a call on the particular details of the arrangement.
The reservation for women will be decided by rotations and will expire after 15 years from the commencement of the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, unless Parliament extends the period. The bill also clarifies that Mizoram and Lakshadweep will have their additional seats reserved for tribals.
