Article 81 - Composition of the House of the People - Constitution of India

2 [Article 81. Composition of the House of the People.- (1) 7 [ Subject to the provisions of article 331 8 [****] ] , the House of the People shall consist of- (a) not more than 10 [ five hundred and thirty members ] chosen by direct election from territorial constituencies in the States, and (b) not more than 5 [ 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: 6 [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: 9 [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 11 [ 2026 ] have been published, 12 [ be construed i) for the purpose 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 13 [ 2001 ] census ] ] ****************** NOTES:- 1 . Omitted vide Article 2 of the Constitution (2nd Amendment) Act, 1952 dated 01-05-195 3 w.e.f. 01-05-1953, before it was read as, not less than one member for every 750,000 of the population and 2 . Substituted vide Article 4 of the Constitution (7th Amendment) Act, 1956 dated 19-10-1956 w.e.f. 01-11-1956, before it was read as, 81. Composition of the House of the People. (1) (a) Subject to the provisions of clause (2) and of Arts. 82 and 331, the House of the People shall consist of not more than five hundred members directly elected by the voters in the States. (b) For the purpose of sub-clause (a), the States shall be divided, grouped or formed into territorial constituencies and the number of members to be allotted to each such constituency shall be so determined as to ensure that there shall be not less than one member for every 750,000 of the population and 1 [****] (c) The ratio between the number of members allotted to each territorial constituency and the population of that constituency as ascertained at the last preceding census of which the relevant figures have been published shall, so far as practicable, be the same throughout the territory of India. (2) The representation in the House of the People of the territories comprised within the territory of India but not included within any State shall be such as Parliament may by law provide. (3) Upon the completion of each census, the representation of the several territorial constituencies in the House of the People shall be readjusted by such authority, in such manner and with effect from such date 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. 3 . Substituted vide Article 2 of the Constitution (14th Amendment) Act, 1962 dated 28-12-1962 w.e.f. 18-12-1962, before it was read as, twenty members 4 . Substituted vide Article 2 of the Constitution (31st Amendment) Act, 1973 dated 17-10-1973 w.e.f. 17-10-1973, before it was read as, five hundred members 5 . Substituted vide Article 2 of the Constitution (31st Amendment) Act, 1973 dated 17-10-1973 w.e.f. 17-10-1973, before it was read as, 3 [ twenty-five members ] 6 . Inserted vide Article 2 of the Constitution (31st Amendment) Act, 1973 dated 17-10-1973 w.e.f. 17-10-1973. 7 . Substituted vide Article 4 of the Constitution (35th Amendment) Act, 1974 dated 22-02-1975 w.e.f. 01-03-1975, before it was read as, Subject to the provisions of Article 331 8 . Omitted vide Article 5 of the Constitution (36th Amendment) Act, 1975 dated 16-05-1975 w.e.f. 16-05-1975, before it was read as, and paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule 9 . Inserted vide Article 15 of the Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976 dated 18-12-1976 , w.e.f. 03-01-1977. 10 . Substituted vide Article 63 of the Goa, Daman and Diu Reorganisation Act, 1987 (18 of 1987) w.e.f. 30-05-1987, before it was read as, 4 [ five hundred and twenty-five members ] 11 . Substituted vide Article 3 of the Constitution (84th Amendment) Act, 2001 dated 21-02-2002 w.e.f. 21-02-2002, before it was read as, 2000 12 . Substituted vide Article 3 of the Constitution (84th Amendment) Act, 2001 dated 21-02-2002 w.e.f. 21-02-2002, before it was read as, be construed as a reference to the 1971 census 13 . Substituted vide Article 2 of the Constitution (87th Amendment) Act, 2003 dated 22-06-2003 w.e.f. 22-06-2003, before it was read as, 1991