Art. 82 Part V: The Union

Readjustment After Each Census

Exact text — Constitution of India

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...

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

This Article requires periodic redrawing of Lok Sabha constituencies (delimitation) after each census, keeping seat allocation reasonably aligned with population changes — though notably, seat NUMBERS per state have been frozen since 1976 (via a constitutional amendment) specifically to avoid penalizing states that successfully controlled population growth, with only internal constituency boundaries being adjusted, not the total seat count per state, until a future readjustment (linked to the first census after 2026) is due to unfreeze this.

Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

This is why a state's number of Lok Sabha seats hasn't simply grown or shrunk purely with population changes since the 1970s — the freeze was a deliberate policy choice, and the eventual 'delimitation' after this freeze eventually lifts is a significant, closely-watched future political and demographic question for Indian federalism.

Read alongside this one

Art. 81 — Composition of the House of the People

Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 82

Why were Lok Sabha seat numbers per state frozen?

To avoid penalizing southern and other states that successfully implemented family planning and reduced population growth — if seats had been reallocated purely by current population, those states would have lost relative representation compared to states with higher population growth, which was seen as an unfair outcome to reward slower demographic transition.

← PreviousArticle 81: Composition of the House of the People Next →Article 83: Duration of Houses of Parliament

The text above reproduces Article 82 of the Constitution of India as amended to date, for general educational reference. It is public-domain legislative text, but we recommend cross-checking the authoritative version at legislative.gov.in or india.gov.in before relying on it for a legal matter. The explanation, examples and FAQs are general information, not legal advice — consult a qualified advocate for guidance on your specific situation.