Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026: Delimitation & Women Reservation
UPSC / SSC current affairs note · Polity
Why in news
The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced in Lok Sabha on April 16, 2026, alongside two other bills to enable delimitation based on the 2011 census and implement women's reservation. This is significant because it addresses the delay in implementing the 106th Constitutional Amendment (women's reservation) by removing the requirement of a fresh census for its commencement.
Background
The 42nd Amendment (1976) froze Lok Sabha and Assembly seats based on the 1971 census, extended by the 84th Amendment (2001) until after the first census post-2026. The 106th Amendment (2023) reserved one-third of seats for women, contingent on the first census after its commencement. The ongoing census has a reference date of March 1, 2027, making it unlikely to complete delimitation before the 2029 elections. The new bills seek to use the 2011 census for delimitation and immediately trigger women's reservation.
Key facts
The Bill amends laws for Union Territories of Puducherry, Delhi, and Jammu & Kashmir to align with the proposed delimitation and women's reservation.
The Constitution Amendment Bill reverts to the principle of each state having Lok Sabha seats proportional to its population.
Parliament is authorized to decide which census to use for delimitation; the Delimitation Bill, 2026 specifies the latest published census (likely 2011) at the time of constituting the Delimitation Commission.
Maximum Lok Sabha seats increased from 550 to 850: up to 815 from states (from 530) and up to 35 from UTs (from 20).
The requirement for women's reservation to be based on the first census after the 2023 Act is removed, enabling immediate implementation.
The Delimitation Commission will be chaired by a current or former Supreme Court judge, with the Chief Election Commissioner and State Election Commissioners as members.
The last Delimitation Commission was constituted in 2002, with orders finalized in 2008.
The 84th Amendment (2001) had frozen seat allocation until after the first census post-2026 to encourage population stabilization.
Prelims pointers
- Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026
- Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026
- Delimitation Bill, 2026
- 106th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2023 (women's reservation)
- 42nd Amendment, 1976 (freeze on seats based on 1971 census)
- 84th Amendment, 2001 (extended freeze until after census post-2026)
- Delimitation Commission composition: Chairperson (SC judge), CEC, State ECs
- Reference date for ongoing census: March 1, 2027
- Maximum Lok Sabha seats: 850 (states 815, UTs 35)
Mains angles
- Discuss the implications of using the 2011 census for delimitation on federal balance and representation.
- Critically examine the removal of the census trigger for women's reservation and its impact on political representation.
- Analyze the constitutional amendments and bills in the context of population stabilization and political incentives.