Parliament Special Session Live Update:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived at the Lok Sabha, declaring the women’s reservation bill as “one of the most important moments in parliament’s history.”
Earlier today, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal stated that the proposal to allocate 272 seats out of 815 in the Lok Sabha is a straightforward method to ensure 33% reservation for women.
A heated political debate unfolded in the Lok Sabha, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioning the Centre’s urgency regarding the women’s reservation bill. He emphasized the need to complete the census before advancing with any delimitation-related measures. “Why are you in such a hurry? Why is the Centre rushing for women’s reservation? We support women’s reservation, but we oppose the approach via delimitation. Once the census is complete, we will advocate for a caste census, and then the reservation issue will follow. Thus, you are trying to cheat us,” Yadav stated.
The Centre introduced the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which aims to expand the Lok Sabha to 850 seats and facilitate delimitation based on the pre-2026 census. This has set the stage for significant political confrontations during the special Parliament session scheduled from April 16 to 18.
The primary concern revolves around delimitation, with the opposition arguing that it could diminish representation for southern states while favoring northern regions. The proposed bill includes amendments to Articles 81 and 82 of the Constitution, increasing the Lok Sabha’s size.
Understanding Delimitation:
Delimitation refers to the process of defining the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies in a country, as per the Election Commission of India (ECI). In simple terms, delimitation redraws constituency boundaries, leading to an increase in the number of constituencies in line with the most recent population data. The delimitation process will be conducted based on the upcoming census, and the bill will be enacted once these processes are completed.
Constitutional Provisions on Delimitation:
According to the Constitution, the number of seats in both Houses (parliament and assembly) must be readjusted following each census. Article 82 states, “Upon the completion of each census, the allocation of seats in the House of the People to the States and the division of each State into territorial constituencies shall be readjusted by such authority and in such manner as Parliament may by law determine.”
For live updates on the Parliament Special Session, stay tuned to Mint.
