Overview
- The Union Cabinet, which met Wednesday, approved draft laws to amend the Constitution and the Delimitation Act and to enable rollout in Union territories with legislatures.
- The proposal would raise Lok Sabha strength from 543 to about 816 seats with roughly 273 reserved for women, and it would apply a vertical quota for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes within that share.
- Using 2011 Census figures to redraw seats delinks the plan from the next census‑based delimitation, and keeping each state’s share steady would require ending the two‑decade freeze on seat totals.
- The government says the package would take effect on March 31, 2029 for the next Lok Sabha and for assembly elections in Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Andhra Pradesh, with pro‑rata changes in state houses.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi published an op‑ed and video urging cross‑party support before the April 16–18 special sitting, while opposition parties questioned the timing during ongoing state polls and the INDIA bloc scheduled strategy talks on April 12.