What is the common examiner trap about Polity in UPSC exams?

Examiners may confuse the Bill number (131st Amendment) with other constitutional amendments. They may also ask about the exact vote threshold: 'two-thirds of members present and voting' is different from 'two-thirds of total membership'. The trap is to swap these conditions or misstate the current Lok Sabha strength.

What should UPSC aspirants remember about Polity for Prelims?

1. Target this Data: Lok Sabha expansion from 543 to 850 seats under Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2. Target this Nodal Body: Parliament (Lok Sabha) - the Bill failed in April 2026 3. Target this Legal Point: Article 368 - requires two-thirds majority of members present and voting + majority of total strength

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Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill Seeks to Expand Lok Sabha to 850 Seats for Delimitation

Q: Which constitutional article specifies the procedure for amending the Constitution, including the requirement of a special majority?

Article 368, Article 368 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to amend the Constitution and specifies the procedure, including the requirement of a two-thirds majority of members present and voting and a majority of the total strength of the House for most amendments.

Q: Consider the following statements regarding the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill: 1. The Bill seeks to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850. 2. The Bill requires a simple majority of the members present and voting to be passed. 3. The Bill provides the constitutional basis for implementing the Women's Reservation law. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Both 1 and 3, Statement 1 is correct as the Bill seeks to increase Lok Sabha strength to 850. Statement 2 is incorrect because constitutional amendments under Article 368 require a two-thirds majority of members present and voting, not a simple majority. Statement 3 is correct as the Bill provides the constitutional basis for implementing the Women's Reservation law.

Q: What is the current strength of the Lok Sabha as mentioned in the article?

543, The article clearly states that the current strength of the Lok Sabha is 543, and the Bill seeks to increase it to 850. Option B (550) and Option D (360) are distractors. Option C (850) is the proposed strength, not the current one.

Q: What is the primary political objective of the Opposition in the context of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill?

To keep the NDA below the 360-vote threshold, The article explicitly states that for the Opposition, the immediate objective is to keep the NDA below the 360-vote threshold, as this would prevent the ruling alliance from securing the two-thirds majority needed to pass the constitutional amendment, even if they emerge as the single largest bloc.

PolityCORE

Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCSSC GATeachingPrelims HighMains HighStatic GK Link

17 Jul 2026

~2 min

Source: The Hindu

Key Data:Lok Sabha strength 543Proposed Lok Sabha strength 850Article 368Two-thirds majorityApril 2026

Bodies:Lok SabhaParliament

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What This Article Covers

1.The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill aims to increase Lok Sabha strength from 543 to 850 and enable a fresh delimitation before the 2029 general election.

2.The Bill failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha in April 2026.

3.The BJP is expanding the NDA and reaching out to regional parties to secure the needed numbers for the constitutional amendment.

The Big Picture

Prelims · HighMains · High

The Modi government has revived efforts to pass the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which seeks to increase Lok Sabha strength from 543 to 850 to enable fresh delimitation before 2029. The Bill previously failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in April 2026. This is critical for implementing the Women's Reservation law and reshaping political representation.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

Bill NameConstitution (131st Amendment) Bill

Current Lok Sabha Strength543

Proposed Lok Sabha Strength850

Vote Requirement for AmendmentTwo-thirds majority of members present and voting + majority of total strength

Target Election2029 general election

Constitutional Article for AmendmentArticle 368

Date Bill FailedApril 2026

1-Minute Revision

›Bill Name: Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill
›Current Lok Sabha Strength: 543
›Target this Data: Lok Sabha expansion from 543 to 850 seats under Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill
›Target this Nodal Body: Parliament (Lok Sabha) - the Bill failed in April 2026
›Target this Legal Point: Article 368 - requires two-thirds majority of members present and voting + majority of total strength

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News Snapshot

📜

Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill

The Bill seeks to increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 and enable fresh delimitation before the 2029 elections.

⚖️

Two-Thirds Majority Required

Under Article 368, the Bill needs support of at least two-thirds of members present and voting, plus a majority of total House strength.

🗳️

Political Strategy to Secure Numbers

After failing in April 2026, the BJP is expanding the NDA and courting regional parties to reach the 360-vote threshold.

Detailed Analysis & Strategic Depth

Context / Background

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill is a key legislative initiative to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 members. This expansion is constitutionally required to enable a fresh delimitation exercise, which redraws constituency boundaries based on population changes. The Bill also provides the constitutional basis for implementing the Women's Reservation law, which reserves one-third of seats for women. The legislation was first put to vote in April 2026 but failed to secure the required two-thirds majority.

Core Analysis & Implications

The failure of the Bill in April 2026 highlights the political challenge of securing a two-thirds majority for constitutional amendments. Under Article 368, any constitutional amendment requires the support of at least two-thirds of members present and voting, while also constituting a majority of the total strength of the House. For the Opposition, the immediate objective is to keep the NDA below the 360-vote threshold, which would prevent the amendment from being passed even if the ruling alliance emerges as the single largest bloc. The BJP's strategy now focuses on expanding the NDA and reaching out to regional parties that had opposed or abstained on the Bill.

Future Outlook / Way Forward

The revived push for the Bill before the 2029 general election suggests the government is confident of building the necessary political consensus. Success would reshape India's parliamentary representation, giving more seats to states with higher population growth. The linkage with the Women's Reservation law makes this a high-stakes legislative priority. Failure to pass the Bill would delay both delimitation and the implementation of women's reservation, potentially affecting the 2029 election cycle.

Key Facts at a Glance

Bill NameConstitution (131st Amendment) Bill

Current Lok Sabha Strength543

Proposed Lok Sabha Strength850

Vote Requirement for AmendmentTwo-thirds majority of members present and voting + majority of total strength

Target Election2029 general election

Constitutional Article for AmendmentArticle 368

Date Bill FailedApril 2026

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Practice exam-style questions based on this article.

Q1Static LinkageEasyUPSC, SSC, State PSC

Which constitutional article specifies the procedure for amending the Constitution, including the requirement of a special majority?

Q2Statement-basedHardUPSC, SSC

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

1. The Bill seeks to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850.

2. The Bill requires a simple majority of the members present and voting to be passed.

3. The Bill provides the constitutional basis for implementing the Women's Reservation law.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMediumUPSC, Banking, SSC

What is the current strength of the Lok Sabha as mentioned in the article?

Q4Application/ImpactMediumUPSC, SSC, Banking

What is the primary political objective of the Opposition in the context of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill?

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Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill Seeks to Expand Lok Sabha to 850 Seats for Delimitation

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

1-Minute Revision

News Snapshot

Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill

Two-Thirds Majority Required

Political Strategy to Secure Numbers

Detailed Analysis & Strategic Depth

Context / Background

Core Analysis & Implications

Future Outlook / Way Forward

Prelims Flashpoints

Key Facts at a Glance