Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha as part of a broader legislative package aimed at restructuring India’s electoral framework and expanding parliamentary representation. It was introduced as supplementary law extending provisions of Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, 2026.
These reforms collectively propose increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha, enabling fresh delimitation based on the 2011 Census, and operationalising women’s reservation in Parliament and State Assemblies. The UT Laws Amendment Bill specifically extends these provisions to Union Territories with legislatures such as Puducherry, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir, ensuring uniform application of electoral reforms across India.
Key Features of Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026
- Population-Based Delimitation:
- Reintroduces the principle that Lok Sabha seats should be allocated in proportion to population.
- Ensures constituencies across states and UTs have roughly equal population size, improving representational balance.
- Census for Delimitation:
- Parliament is empowered to decide which census will be used for delimitation.
- As per the Delimitation Bill, 2026, the latest published census at the time of commission formation will be used effectively 2011 Census for upcoming delimitation.
- Expansion of Lok Sabha Strength:
- Existing constitutional cap: 550 members (530 states + 20 UTs)
- Proposed increase: 850 members: Up to 815 from states and Up to 35 from Union Territories
- Women’s Reservation (Operational Change):
- Builds on 106th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2023
- Removes dependency on post-2023 census condition, enabling earlier implementation of one-third reservation for women
- Delimitation Commission Setup:
- Empowered through the Delimitation Bill, 2026
- Composition includes:
- Chairperson (serving/former Supreme Court judge)
- Chief Election Commissioner or nominee
- State Election Commissioner concerned
- Chairperson appointed by the Central Government
- Terminological Gap:
- Introduces the term “Delimitation Commission” into the Constitution
- However, does not define it explicitly, which may create interpretational ambiguity
Background and Constitutional Context
- The Constitution mandates:
- Allocation of Lok Sabha seats in proportion to population
- Equal population across constituencies
- Delimitation after every census
- Freeze on Seat Allocation:
- Imposed by 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 based on 1971 Census
- Extended by 84th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2001 until after 2026 Census
- Objective: Encourage population stabilisation policies
- Women’s Reservation Context:
- Introduced via the 106th Amendment (2023)
- Originally linked to first census after implementation
- Since next census reference date is March 1, 2027, delimitation may not finish before 2029 elections, delaying implementation
- The new Bill removes this delay constraint
- Past Delimitation Exercise:
- Last Delimitation Commission set up in 2002
- Final orders implemented in 2008
Significance of the Bill
- Electoral Rebalancing: Corrects long-standing distortions caused by frozen seat allocation
- Enhanced Representation: Larger Lok Sabha reflects population growth and diversity
- Early Implementation of Women’s Reservation: Removes procedural delays, enabling timely gender representation reforms
- Uniform Application Across UTs: Ensures Delhi, Puducherry, and J&K align with national electoral changes
- Institutional Strengthening: Provides framework for future delimitation exercises and electoral reforms