Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 proposes expansion of Lok Sabha to 850 members

Key facts

• The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 aims to increase the Lok Sabha strength to 850 members, comprising 815 representatives from States and 35 from Union Territories.
• The Bill amends Article 82 to delete the proviso linking delimitation to the post-2026 Census, allowing the use of the 2011 Census data for immediate boundary redrawing.
• It amends Article 334A to decouple the one-third women’s reservation from the post-2026 Census, enabling implementation once the 2026 Delimitation exercise is complete.
• A Delimitation Commission 2026 will be established under the chairmanship of a serving or retired Supreme Court Judge, with the Chief Election Commissioner and State Election Commissioners as ex-officio members.
• NITI Aayog released the Ease of Doing Research & Development (R&D) in India reports, focusing on four pillars: Funding, Governance, Regulatory Frameworks, and Research Translation.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) liberalised branch expansion rules for Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), allowing those with Net Owned Funds (NOF) above ₹50 crore and a credit rating of AA or higher to open branches anywhere in India without prior approval.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) increased the latitude for altering Initial Public Offering (IPO) fresh issue size from 20% to 50% without refiling the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) until 30 September 2026.
• The Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoL&E) signed MoUs with Porter and Gigin Technologies to generate job opportunities via the National Career Service (NCS) portal.
• The Maharashtra government signed a $6.5 billion MoU with Vietnam’s Vingroup for electric mobility and smart township projects.
• The Department of Posts (DoP) and Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalaya (PMML) signed an MoU to promote democratic heritage through exhibitions and philatelic initiatives.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) and GE Aerospace signed an agreement to establish a domestic depot for F404 engines to enhance maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabilities.