VoxJuris
Home › Acts › Constitution › Part V › Article 82

Constitution of India · Part V: The Union · General

Article 82: Readjustment after each census

In plain words

After each census, the allocation of House of the People seats to States and the division of States into constituencies are readjusted by an authority and in a manner Parliament decides. This does not affect the existing House until it is dissolved, and takes effect from a date the President specifies.

  • Until figures from the first census after 2026 are published, no readjustment is needed of seat allocation (based on the 1971 census) or constituencies (based on the 2001 census).

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

Upon the completion of each census, the allocation of seats in the House of the People to the States and the division of each State into territorial constituencies shall be readjusted by such authority and in such manner as Parliament may by law determine:

Provided that such readjustment shall not affect representation in the House of the People until the dissolution of the then existing House: [Provided further that such readjustment shall take effect from such date as the President may, by order, specify and until such readjustment takes effect, any election to the House may be held on the basis of the territorial constituencies existing before such readjustment:

Provided also that until the relevant figures for the first census taken after the year [2026] have been published, it shall not be necessary to [readjust,—

(i) the allocation of seats in the House of the People to the States as readjusted on the basis of the 1971 census; and

(ii) the division of each State into territorial constituencies as may be readjusted on the basis of the [2001] census, under this article.]]

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 82