Polity · 29 Aug 2026

Article 82 delimitation

Assertion (A): The 84th Constitutional Amendment froze the inter-state allocation of Lok Sabha seats without freezing the delimitation of constituencies within each state.
Reason (R): Article 82 of the Constitution mandates that the total strength of the Lok Sabha must increase after every census-based delimitation exercise.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above two statements?

ABoth A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
BBoth A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
CA is true, but R is false
DA is false, but R is true
This question is based on: The Article That Makes 543 a Political Choice, Not a Constitutional Deadline
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About this question

Why in news

A reported 50% pro-rata expansion proposal for the Lok Sabha, alongside the unresolved Monsoon Session prorogation, has revived the delimitation standoff - with the 106th Amendment tying implementation of the 33% women's reservation quota to the first census-based delimitation after 2023.

Why for UPSC

UPSC often probes the precise textual limits of a constitutional article versus the political assumptions built on top of it - here, the gap between what Article 82 actually mandates and what current expansion proposals treat as inevitable.

Prelims summary

The 84th Amendment froze inter-state Lok Sabha seat allocation (not intra-state delimitation). Article 82 mandates seat readjustment after a census but not House expansion. The 106th Amendment links women's reservation implementation to the first post-2023-census delimitation.

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