Key Terms & Concepts — UPSC Mains
Article 82
"Constitutional provision requiring Parliament to readjust Lok Sabha seat allocation and constituency boundaries after every Census"
Article 82 of the Indian Constitution mandates that upon completion of each Census, Parliament shall by law provide for the readjustment of (a) the allocation of seats in the House of the People (Lok Sabha) to the States, and (b) the division of each State into territorial constituencies. Such readjustment does not affect representation in the existing House until its dissolution. The provision ensures the democratic principle of 'one person, one vote, one value' by periodically aligning representation with population changes.
Article 82 is central to the 2026 delimitation debate — the proposed expansion of Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 seats requires a constitutional amendment to Article 81 (which caps seats at 550) alongside Article 82-based readjustment. The freeze on inter-state seat allocation since 1971 (extended to 2026 by the 42nd and 84th Amendments) expires after the next Census, making this provision a live UPSC topic for Prelims (constitutional articles) and Mains GS-2 (federalism, representation).
- 1 Readjustment of Lok Sabha seats to states must happen after every Census
- 2 The 42nd Amendment (1976) froze inter-state seat allocation based on 1971 Census until 2001
- 3 The 84th Amendment (2001) extended the freeze until the first Census after 2026
- 4 Readjustment does not affect the sitting House — applies only after dissolution
- 5 Delimitation Commission orders have the force of law and cannot be challenged in court
The 2026 proposal to expand Lok Sabha to 816 seats using 2011 Census data invokes Article 82's readjustment mandate, requiring a constitutional amendment to raise the Article 81 ceiling from 550 to 816.