New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Special session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Friday, April 17, 2026. (Sansad TV via PTI Photo) | Photo Credit: PTI

Government on Sunday clarified that there was no intention to modify the Delimitation Act. It also emphasised that the representation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes would increase after the implementation of women’s reservation.

These clarifications came in the form of a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) after the government failed to get the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 passed in the Lok Sabha. Following this, it decided not to proceed with two other bills — the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill.

All the three bills were introduced to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and legislative assemblies of Union Territories based on the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, passed in 2023.

“No changes were proposed to the Delimitation Commission Act. The existing legal framework remains intact, and any recommendations of the Commission would require parliamentary approval and Presidential assent,” the FAQ released by the government said. Delimitation means finalising the boundary of a constituency. It is essential for implementing women’s reservation. The limit on seats in the Lok Sabha was set at 550 in 1976. In 1971, the population of India was 54 crore, which is now over 140 crore. Therefore “it is important to increase seats to 850 in the Lok Sabha,” it said while adding that this would enable fair representation of people in Parliament.

Giving the rationale behind bringing the new bills, the government said that the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam provides that reservation for women will be implemented based on delimitation after the Census conducted post-2026. “If the government had waited for the Census and subsequent delimitation, women would not have been able to benefit from 33 per cent reservation even in the 2029 general elections as the census and subsequent delimitation period takes time,” it said.

Therefore, to ensure timely benefits to half the population, it was considered necessary to delink implementation of the Act from this condition, it added. “If passed and approved, these Bills would have enabled women to receive 33 per cent reservation in the Lok Sabha as early as the 2029 general elections,” the government said.

On the issue of proposing the number to be raised to 850 in the Lok Sabha, it said the proposal was based on a proportional expansion approach. A uniform 50 per cent increase in seats would maintain the proportion for all states and Union Territories. Applying this principle to the current 543 seats would lead to approximately 815 seats. Therefore, the upper limit on seats was increased from the current cap of 550 seats in the Lok Sabha to 850 seats, it said.

On the issue of representation of southern states going down after implementation of the new formula, the government categorically said that these states would not face any reduction in representation; rather, their overall share would remain stable. “The southern states currently have 23.76 per cent seats in the Lok Sabha. This would have become 23.87 per cent after passage of the Bills,” it said.

Further, it clarified that ongoing elections, including those in states like Tamil Nadu or West Bengal, would not be affected, as elections up to 2029 will be conducted under the current system.

Published on April 19, 2026