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Constitution of India · Part V: The Union · General

Article 81: Composition of the House of the People

In plain words

The House of the People has up to five hundred and thirty members directly elected from territorial constituencies in the States, and up to twenty members for the Union territories, as Parliament provides.

  • Seats are allotted so that the ratio of seats to population is, as far as practicable, the same for all States, except States with a population up to six million.
  • Each State is divided into constituencies with, as far as practicable, the same population per seat.
  • Until figures from the first census after 2026 are published, the 1971 census is used for allotting seats to States and the 2001 census for drawing constituencies.

A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.

Official text

(1) [Subject to the provisions of article 331 ***], the House of the People shall consist of—

(a) not more than [five hundred and thirty members] chosen by direct election from territorial constituencies in the States; and

(b) not more than [twenty members] to represent the Union territories, chosen in such manner as Parliament may by law provide.

(2) For the purposes of sub-clause (a) of clause (1),—

(a) there shall be allotted to each State a number of seats in the House of the People in such manner that the ratio between that number and the population of the State is, so far as practicable, the same for all States; and

(b) each State shall be divided into territorial constituencies in such manner that the ratio between the population of each constituency and the number of seats allotted to it is, so far as practicable, the same throughout the State: [Provided that the provisions of sub-clause (a) of this clause shall not be applicable for the purpose of allotment of seats in the House of the People to any State so long as the population of that State does not exceed six millions.]

(3) In this article, the expression “population” means the population as ascertained at the last preceding census of which the relevant figures have been published: [Provided that the reference in this clause to the last preceding census of which the relevant figures have been published shall, until the relevant figures for the first census taken after the year [2026] have been published, [be construed,—

(i) for the purposes of sub-clause (a) of clause (2) and the proviso to that clause, as a reference to the 1971 census; and

(ii) for the purposes of sub-clause (b) of clause (2) as a reference to the [2001] census.]]

Source: India Code (Legislative Department), the official text of the Constitution of India. As amended up to the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023. Text as on 10 September 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.

Supreme Court judgments citing the article 81