Which of the following Constitutional Amendments are related to raising the number of Members of Lok Sabha to be : elected from the States?

1. Composition of the Lok Sabha (Article 81) (basic)

Welcome to your first step in mastering Constitutional Amendments! To understand how the Constitution changes, we must first understand what it is changing. Article 81 of the Indian Constitution defines the Composition of the Lok Sabha (the House of the People). Think of it as the blueprint for our democracy's primary representative body.

The Lok Sabha is designed to be the "Popular House," meaning its members are directly elected by the people based on Universal Adult Franchise. Currently, any citizen over 18 years of age can vote, provided they aren't otherwise disqualified. As per Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Parliament, p.223, the maximum strength of the House is fixed at 550 members (530 from States and 20 from Union Territories). While the Constitution originally set lower limits, these numbers have been adjusted over time through specific amendments to keep pace with India’s growing population.

A crucial principle under Article 81 is proportionality. The Constitution aims to ensure that the ratio between the number of seats allotted to a state and its population is, as far as practicable, the same across all states. However, this rule of uniformity does not apply to smaller states with a population of less than six million Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Parliament, p.224. This ensures that even small states have a voice without strictly adhering to a mathematical formula that might leave them with no representation.

Historically, the number of seats has not been static. For instance, the Seventh Amendment (1956) relaxed the population-per-seat limits, and the Thirty-first Amendment (1973) raised the number of elected seats from 525 to 545 to reflect the census data D.D. Basu, Introduction to the Constitution of India, The Union Legislature, p.515. Today, we have 543 constituencies, a number that has remained frozen since the 1971 census to encourage states to manage population growth without fearing a loss of political representation NCERT Class XI, Legislature, p.106.

Category	Maximum Strength	Current Strength
Representatives of States	530	524
Representatives of UTs	20	19
Total	550	543

Sources: Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Parliament, p.223-224; Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu, The Union Legislature, p.515; Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT), LEGISLATURE, p.106

2. Delimitation and Readjustment (Article 82) (basic)

In the spirit of democratic fairness, the Constitution seeks to ensure that every citizen's vote carries roughly the same weight. This is governed by Article 82, which mandates the readjustment of seats in the Lok Sabha and the division of States into territorial constituencies after every census. The logic is simple: as the population grows and shifts, the map must change to prevent some representatives from representing far more people than others M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity, State Legislature, p.335. To perform this delicate task, Parliament establishes a Delimitation Commission. This is a statutory body (created by law, not directly by the Constitution) with immense power. Its orders have the force of law and, crucially, cannot be challenged in any court. When its reports are laid before the Lok Sabha or State Assemblies, these legislative bodies are not permitted to make any modifications to them M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity, Delimitation Commission of India, p.530. While Article 82 originally intended for seats to be increased with every census, this was later paused to support national population control policies. If seats were increased solely based on population growth, states that successfully implemented family planning would lose political influence compared to those with high birth rates. Consequently, the 84th Amendment Act (2001) froze the total number of seats in the Lok Sabha based on the 1971 census until the year 2026. However, while the total number of seats is frozen, the internal boundaries of constituencies within a state can still be redrawn. This "rationalization" is currently based on the 2001 census, as updated by the 87th Amendment Act (2003) M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity, Parliament, p.224. Historically, specific amendments were used to expand the House. The 7th Amendment (1956) relaxed the numerical constraints on representation during the reorganization of states, and the 31st Amendment (1973) raised the number of elected seats in the Lok Sabha from 525 to 545 D. D. Basu, Introduction to the Constitution of India, Chapter 35, p.515.

Amendment	Impact on Delimitation
7th & 31st	Relaxed limits and increased total Lok Sabha seats to 545.
42nd & 84th	Froze the total number of seats (currently until 2026) to encourage population control.
87th	Allowed redrawing of constituency boundaries within states based on the 2001 census.

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, State Legislature, p.335; Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Delimitation Commission of India, p.530; Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Parliament, p.224; Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu, Chapter 35: TABLES, p.515

3. The Freeze on Seats: 42nd and 84th Amendments (intermediate)

In a healthy democracy, the number of representatives in a legislature should ideally reflect the size of the population. This process of redrawing boundaries and reallocating seats is called Delimitation. However, in India, this created a unique federal dilemma: states that successfully implemented family planning and slowed their population growth faced the risk of losing seats in the Lok Sabha, while states with high population growth stood to gain more political power. To prevent this "punishment" for good governance, the Parliament intervened through constitutional amendments.

The 42nd Amendment Act (1976) was the first major step in this direction. It froze the total number of seats in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies at the level determined by the 1971 Census. This freeze was originally intended to last until the year 2000 M. Laxmikanth, State Legislature, p.336. The 1971 census was chosen as the benchmark because it represented the population distribution before the massive impact of national population control policies. As you might notice, the 42nd Amendment was a massive piece of legislation often called the "Mini-Constitution," but in this specific context, its role was to ensure political stability across states.

As the year 2000 approached, the same concerns persisted. Consequently, the 84th Amendment Act (2001) was enacted to extend this ban on readjusting the total number of seats for another 25 years—meaning the seat count remains frozen until 2026 M. Laxmikanth, Parliament, p.224. However, the 84th Amendment introduced an important nuance: while the total number of seats per state remained fixed, the government was allowed to rationalize or redraw the internal boundaries of constituencies within a state to account for internal population shifts. This was initially based on the 1991 census, though the 87th Amendment (2003) later updated this internal rationalization to the 2001 census M. Laxmikanth, Parliament, p.224.

Amendment	Primary Action	Census Baseline (Total Seats)	Expiry of Freeze
42nd (1976)	First freeze on total seats in Lok Sabha & Assemblies.	1971 Census	Year 2000
84th (2001)	Extended the freeze; allowed internal rationalization.	1971 Census	Year 2026

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Parliament, p.224; Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, State Legislature, p.336

4. Representation of Union Territories in Lok Sabha (intermediate)

To understand how Union Territories (UTs) are represented in the Lok Sabha, we have to look at how the Constitution treats them differently from States. While the Constitution explicitly mandates direct elections for State representatives, it gives Parliament the flexibility to decide the 'manner' in which UT representatives are chosen. This is a unique power under Article 81, allowing the central legislature to adapt to the specific needs of these territories M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity, p.223.

Initially, representation for UTs wasn't always through direct voting. However, that changed when Parliament exercised its power to enact the Union Territories (Direct Election to the House of the People) Act, 1965. Since then, members from UTs like Delhi, Puducherry, and others are elected through the same universal adult franchise system used in the States—where every citizen above 18 years of age has the right to vote D.D. Basu, Introduction to the Constitution of India, p.265.

The numerical strength of UTs in the Lok Sabha has also evolved through significant Constitutional Amendments. Originally, the seats were lower, but the 31st Constitutional Amendment Act (1973) played a pivotal role in shaping the modern House. It increased the upper limit of elected seats and settled the current distribution. Today, out of the maximum strength of 550 members, a maximum of 20 members are reserved to represent the Union Territories M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity, p.223.

Feature	Representation of States	Representation of UTs
Election Method	Directly elected (Constitutional mandate)	Directly elected (via Parliamentary law)
Maximum Seats	530	20
Constitutional Basis	Article 81(1)(a)	Article 81(1)(b)

Sources: Indian Polity, Parliament, p.223; Introduction to the Constitution of India, The Union Legislature, p.265

5. Reservation of Seats and the 104th Amendment (intermediate)

To understand the reservation of seats in Indian legislatures, we must first look at the 'Sunset Clause' found in Article 334. Originally, the framers of the Constitution intended for political reservations to be a temporary measure, lasting only ten years. However, recognizing that the social and economic conditions of marginalized groups required continued support, Parliament has consistently extended this deadline through various constitutional amendments every decade Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), Special Provisions Relating to Certain Classes, p.559. The 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019 is the most recent and significant milestone in this journey. It brought about two major changes to the composition of the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies:

• Extension for SCs and STs: It extended the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for another 10 years, moving the deadline from January 25, 2020, to January 25, 2030.
• End of Anglo-Indian Nomination: Crucially, it did not extend the provision for nominating members of the Anglo-Indian community. Previously, under Articles 331 and 333, the President could nominate two members to the Lok Sabha and Governors could nominate one member to State Assemblies if the community was underrepresented. This provision officially ceased to exist on January 25, 2020 Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), President, p.186.

It is also important to note that while political reservation in the Parliament and State Assemblies is governed by the timeline in Article 334, reservation in local bodies (Panchayats) under Article 243D is also linked to this same sunset period. This ensures a uniform national timeline for these special political representations Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.), PANCHAYATS, p.319.

Article	Provision	Current Status (Post-104th Amendment)
330	SC/ST Reservation in Lok Sabha	Extended until 2030
331	Anglo-Indians in Lok Sabha	Discontinued (Effective Jan 2020)
332	SC/ST Reservation in State Assemblies	Extended until 2030
333	Anglo-Indians in State Assemblies	Discontinued (Effective Jan 2020)

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), Special Provisions Relating to Certain Classes, p.559; Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), President, p.186; Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.), PANCHAYATS, p.319

6. The 7th Amendment and State Reorganisation (exam-level)

The 7th Constitutional Amendment Act (1956) stands as a watershed moment in Indian constitutional history. It was the legal vehicle used to implement the States Reorganisation Act, which followed the recommendations of the Fazl Ali Commission. Before this amendment, India had a complex, four-fold classification of states (Part A, B, C, and D). The 7th Amendment simplified this by abolishing the distinction between Part A and Part B states and doing away with Part C and D states entirely, replacing them with a uniform structure of 14 States and 6 Union Territories M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity, Union and Its Territory, p. 53.

This massive redrawing of the map had a direct impact on how people were represented in Parliament. Specifically, Article 81, which governs the composition of the Lok Sabha, had to be adjusted. Before 1956, there were strict numerical limits on the population-per-seat ratio. The 7th Amendment relaxed these constraints, providing the permissive legal framework necessary to reorganize constituencies and adjust the number of representatives to fit the new state boundaries. It effectively decoupled the rigid representation norms of the 1950 Constitution to allow for a more flexible demographic adjustment.

While the 7th Amendment provided the flexibility to adjust seats, it was the 31st Constitutional Amendment Act (1973) that physically increased the strength of the Lok Sabha. By the early 1970s, the population had grown significantly, and several new states had been created (especially in the North-East). To ensure these states had adequate representation without reducing the share of others, the 31st Amendment raised the number of elected seats from 525 to 545 D. D. Basu, Introduction to the Constitution of India, TABLES, p. 515. Together, these two amendments—the 7th providing the structural change and the 31st the numerical increase—shaped the modern composition of the Lok Sabha.

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Union and Its Territory, p.53; Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu, TABLES, p.515

7. The 31st Amendment: Raising the Strength (exam-level)

To understand why the **31st Amendment Act of 1973** is so significant, we first have to look at the 'Why.' The Lok Sabha is the 'House of the People,' and its primary job is to represent the growing population of India. As the census data from 1971 revealed a substantial jump in population, the existing number of seats was no longer sufficient to maintain a healthy ratio between the representative and the represented.

Before this amendment, **Article 81** of the Constitution capped the elected members from the States at 500. The **31st Amendment** intervened to expand the House to its modern familiar strength. It specifically increased the upper limit of elected seats in the Lok Sabha from **525 to 545** D.D. Basu, Introduction to the Constitution of India, Chapter 35, p. 515. This was achieved by raising the maximum representation for the States from 500 to 525, while simultaneously adjusting the limit for Union Territories to 20 seats.

It is also important to note that this change didn't happen in a vacuum. The **7th Amendment (1956)** had previously laid the groundwork by relaxing the rigid population-per-seat constraints, but the 31st Amendment was the actual mechanism that physically added those extra chairs to the floor of the House.

Since then, the strength has seen further minor adjustments (like the addition of seats for new states like Goa), but the 31st Amendment remains the historic 'big jump' that defined the House's size for decades. For perspective, look at how the House has grown over time:

Sources: Introduction to the Constitution of India, Chapter 35, p.515; Indian Polity, Chapter 80, p.577; Indian Polity, Chapter 22, p.224

8. Solving the Original PYQ (exam-level)

Now that you have mastered the evolution of the Indian Parliament and the reorganization of states, this question tests your ability to link those structural changes to specific constitutional milestones. The "building blocks" here are the 1956 reorganization and the subsequent population-based adjustments. To arrive at the correct answer, think about when the map of India changed most drastically: the 7th Amendment (1956) was essential because it abolished the old classification of states (Part A, B, C, and D) and necessitated a re-adjustment of Lok Sabha seats to reflect the new administrative boundaries. As the population grew, the 31st Amendment (1973) was later enacted to explicitly raise the seat limit from 525 to 545, ensuring that representation kept pace with the 1971 Census data.

The reasoning logic for Option (C) relies on seeing these two amendments as a functional pair: the 7th provided the procedural framework for seat adjustment during reorganization, while the 31st provided the numerical increase. This is a classic UPSC theme—connecting the Federal Structure to the Composition of the House. You can find a detailed breakdown of these shifts in Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu, which highlights how Article 81 was modified to accommodate these changes.

UPSC often includes "trap" options by pairing one famous amendment with a completely unrelated one. For instance, the 42nd Amendment in Option (D) is a common distractor; while it is the "Mini-Constitution," it actually froze seat allocation to the 1971 levels rather than raising the number elected from States. Similarly, the 6th, 13th, and 22nd Amendments deal with specialized subjects like inter-state taxes, the creation of Nagaland, and the creation of an autonomous state (Meghalaya) within Assam, respectively. By focusing on the specific goal of raising the total number of seats for States, you can filter out these administrative or specific-territory amendments and confidently select 7th and 31st.

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