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131st Constitution Amendment Bill Defeated: Aimed to Expand Lok Sabha to 850 Seats, Dismantle Delimitation Freeze

PolityHIGH
Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCTeachingSSC GAPrelims HighMains HighStatic GK Link
27 Apr 2026
~2 min
Source: Indian Express
Key Data:850 Lok Sabha seatsArticles 81, 82, 170106th Amendment 2023
Bodies:Lok SabhaRajya Sabha
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What This Article Covers

1.The 131st Amendment Bill, defeated on April 18, 2026, primarily aimed to increase Lok Sabha strength to 850 seats (Clauses 3-5 amending Articles 81, 82, 170), with women's reservation as a secondary provision (Clause 8).

2.The bill sought to dismantle the delimitation freeze, raising concerns over reduced parliamentary influence for southern states and smaller northern/northeastern states, impacting India's federal structure.

3.The Opposition argues for a 'clean' standalone women's reservation bill, decoupled from seat expansion, citing their unanimous support for the 106th Amendment (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) in 2023.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · High

The recent defeat of the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill reveals a major political debate centered on federalism, not women's reservation. The bill's core objective was to increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 and dismantle the delimitation freeze, which critics argued would penalize southern and smaller states. This analysis is crucial for understanding the interplay between constitutional amendments, delimitation, and federal balance, a key area for Polity questions.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

Bill Defeated OnApril 18, 2026
Proposed Lok Sabha Seats850 (from 543)
Amended ArticlesArticles 81, 82, 170
Women's Reservation Bill (2023)106th Amendment (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam)

1-Minute Revision

  • ›Bill Defeated On: April 18, 2026
  • ›Proposed Lok Sabha Seats: 850 (from 543)
  • ›Target this Data: 850 (proposed Lok Sabha seats)
  • ›Target this Legal Point: Articles 81, 82, 170 (amended by the bill)
  • ›Target this Chronology: 106th Amendment (2023) for women's reservation

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Practice exam-style questions, track your score, and strengthen your recall.

Q1Static LinkageEasy

Which constitutional amendments first provided for one-third reservation for women in local governance?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements regarding the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill:

1. Its primary objective was to implement women's reservation in the Lok Sabha.

2. It proposed to increase the total strength of the Lok Sabha to 850 seats.

3. It sought to amend Articles 81, 82, and 170 of the Constitution.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

According to the article, what was the proposed new strength of the Lok Sabha under the defeated 131st Amendment Bill?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What was the central criticism, as per the article, regarding the proposed increase in Lok Sabha seats via the 131st Amendment?

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