Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the House of the People
Article 330 — Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the House of the People
- Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the House of the People.—(1) Seats shall be reserved in the House of the People for —
- (a) the Scheduled Castes;
- (b) the Scheduled Tribes except the Scheduled Tribes in the autonomous districts of Assam; and]
- (c) the Scheduled Tribes in the autonomous districts of Assam. (2) The number of seats reserved in any State or Union territory for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes under clause (1) shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of seats allotted to that State or Union territory in the House of the People as the population of the Scheduled Castes in the State or Union territory or of the Scheduled Tribes in the State or Union territory or part of the State or Union territory, as the case may be, in respect of which seats are so reserved, bears to the total population of the State or Union territory. (3) Notwithstanding anything contained in clause (2), the number of seats reserved in the House of the People for the Scheduled Tribes in the autonomous districts of Assam shall bear to the total number of seats allotted to that State a proportion not less than the population of the Scheduled Tribes in the said autonomous districts bears to the total population of the State.] Explanation.—In this article and in article 332, 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 Explanation 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 as a reference to the 2001 census.]
330A. Reservation of seats for women in the House of the People.(1) Seats shall be reserved for women in the House of the People. (2) As nearly as may be, one-third of the total number of seats reserved under clause (2) of article 330 shall be reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes. (3) As nearly as may be, one-third (including the number of seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election to the House of the People shall be reserved for women.]
Plain English Summary
This article deals with reserving specific seats in the Indian Parliament (House of the People) for members belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). It sets rules on how these reserved seats should be distributed across different states and territories based on population. Additionally, it mandates reservations for women within these reserved categories.
Key Points
- Seats are specifically reserved in the Parliament for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
- The number of reserved seats in a state or union territory is proportional to the population of SCs or STs in that area compared to the total population of the state/territory.
- A special provision exists for autonomous districts of Assam regarding ST reservations.
- Seats are also reserved for women, and a portion of these reserved seats must go to women from SCs and STs.
Why It Matters
This article ensures that members from historically disadvantaged communities have representation in the national legislature, helping to ensure their voices are heard in making laws for the country.
Landmark Judgements
No major landmark judgements.