IndianVoter.comVoter help ↗
AI illustration
THE CONSTITUTION, MADE UNDERSTANDABLE

Article 330A
Reservation of seats for women in the House of the People

Start with a question. Discover the Preamble, Articles, Parts, Schedules and amendments — with plain-language guides beside the official text.

Start exploring ↓
26 Parts12 Schedules506 indexed article entries, including historical omissions
BROWSE / SEARCH / READ

Search. Read. Understand.

Search by number, title or full text. Lettered provisions are included.

Source edition: as on 1 May 2026. Omitted and struck-down reference entries remain labelled. Open the authoritative PDF ↗

Article 330A / Part XVI

Reservation of seats for women in the House of the People

included in edition

Commencement and implementation must be read with article 334A. Inclusion in this source edition does not mean reservation is already operational.

Plain languageOfficial textPurpose & sources
Open official PDF at this provision ↗
THE PLAIN-LANGUAGE GUIDE

What does this mean?

This provides for reservation of roughly one-third of Lok Sabha seats for women, including within SC/ST reserved seats. Its practical operation is tied to Article 334A's census, delimitation and implementation conditions; presence in the text does not itself confirm reserved constituencies for a particular election.

Reserved representation and special safeguards for specified communities, commissions and listing procedures.

IN EVERYDAY LIFE · ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE

Before labelling a constituency reserved for women, verify the applicable delimitation and election notification after the Article 334A steps.

PURPOSE & CONTEXT

Why is this provision here?

The amendment creates a route towards greater women's representation, while Article 334A controls when the reservation system operates.

Historical evidence

Article 330A was introduced in its present subject framework by Amendment 106 (2023), after the original Constitution. The verified sources are the official edition and the linked Amendment Act and Bill statement. Original 1946–1950 Assembly debates predate this insertion and are not presented as its direct drafting reason. The explanation of function above is editorial; the Bill statement supplies the attributed legislative reasons for the later proposal.

The explanation of purpose is an editorial reading of the provision. A drafting motive is attributed only where a linked historical source supports it.

Limits, exceptions & reading carefully

Educational summary of the linked source text. Exceptions, provisos, implementing laws and applicable judgments must be read before applying it to a real case.

A reserved-seat election requires verification of the Article 334A implementation steps and the applicable delimitation and election instruments.

Amendment references
Keep exploring
Read the official constitutional text
[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.]
Source-page notes · may concern neighbouring Articles

1. Ins. by the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, s.3 (w.e.f. 16-4-2026). 2. Subs. by the Constitution (Fifty-first Amendment) Act, 1984, s. 3, for certain words (w.e.f. 16-6-1986). 3. The words and letters "specified in Part A or Part B of the First Schedule" omitted by the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956, s. 29 and Sch. (w.e.f. 1-11-1956). 4. Ins. by the Constitution (Fifty-seventh Amendment) Act, 1987, s. 2 (w.e.f. 21-9-1987). 5. Subs. by the Constitution (Eighty-fourth Amendment) Act, 2001, s. 7, for "2000" (w.e.f. 21-2-2002).

Extracted from the Legislative Department’s May 2026 edition. Page footnotes may refer to neighbouring provisions; check their markers in the PDF. Inclusion in this edition does not by itself establish commencement or judicial effect.