UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Delimitation, women’s reservation, political dynamics

Q1. With reference to the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, consider the following pairings of a constitutional provision with what it does. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Article 330A — reservation of seats for women in the House of the People (Lok Sabha)
  2. Article 332A — reservation of seats for women in the State Legislative Assemblies
  3. Article 334A — provides for reservation of women's seats in the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi
  4. Article 239AA (amended) — extends the women's reservation to the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi
  • A. 1, 2 and 4
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 4 only

Q2. As enacted, the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 provides that reservation of seats for women shall be provided for a period of how many years, continuing thereafter only till such date as Parliament may by law determine?

  • A. 10 years
  • B. 15 years
  • C. 20 years
  • D. 25 years

Q3. Which one of the following correctly describes the Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, 2008 on women's reservation?

  • A. It was passed by the Rajya Sabha but lapsed with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha
  • B. It was passed by both Houses but later struck down by the Supreme Court
  • C. It was the first-ever women's reservation Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2008
  • D. It was withdrawn by the government before being taken up for discussion

Q4. Prior to the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill of 2023, how many Constitution Amendment Bills seeking reservation of seats for women in Parliament and State Assemblies had been introduced (in the years 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2008)?

  • A. Two
  • B. Three
  • C. Four
  • D. Five

Q5. The Delimitation Bill, 2026 provided for a Delimitation Commission. Consider the following as its members. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. A Chairperson who is, or has been, a Judge of the Supreme Court
  2. The Chief Election Commissioner or an Election Commissioner nominated by the Chief Election Commissioner
  3. The State Election Commissioner of the concerned State
  4. The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2 and 4

Q6. With reference to the constitutional framework of delimitation in India, which of the following statements is/are NOT correct?

  1. Article 82 requires readjustment of the allocation of seats in the House of the People to the States upon completion of each census
  2. Article 170 deals with the composition of the State Legislative Assemblies and their readjustment on the basis of census
  3. The 84th Amendment Act, 2001 froze the number of seats until the first census taken after the year 2026
  4. The 84th Amendment Act, 2001 abolished the Delimitation Commission as a permanent constitutional body
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 3 and 4
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4

Q7. The proposal to raise the maximum strength of the House of the People to 850 seats was contained in which one of the following legislative measures of April 2026?

  • A. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026
  • B. The Delimitation Bill, 2026
  • C. The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026
  • D. The Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023

Q8. In the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, the figure of 815 seats referred to which one of the following?

  • A. The proposed maximum number of Lok Sabha seats allotted to the States (raised from 530)
  • B. The proposed total elected membership of the Lok Sabha including nominated members
  • C. The proposed number of seats to be reserved for women across all legislatures
  • D. The proposed maximum number of seats in the Union Territories' assemblies

Q9. Regarding the April 2026 legislative package on delimitation and women's reservation, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Delimitation Bill, 2026 proposed to carry out delimitation on the basis of the 2011 Census data
  2. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 sought to remove the dependence of women's reservation on the first census taken after commencement of the 2023 Act
  3. The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 extended comparable provisions to Union Territories such as Puducherry, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir
  4. The package required a fresh nationwide Census to be completed before any delimitation could begin
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q10. According to the projected redistribution of Lok Sabha seats on the basis of the 2011 Census under the 2026 proposal, which of the following statements is/are NOT correct?

  1. Tamil Nadu's seats would decrease from 39 to 32
  2. Uttar Pradesh's seats would increase from 80 to 89
  3. Bihar's seats would increase from 40 to 46
  4. Kerala's seats would increase from 20 to 28
  • A. 4 only
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2 and 3
  • D. 3 only

Q11. Reservation of not less than one-third of seats for women was first introduced into the Constitution of India by which one of the following?

  • A. The Constitution (73rd and 74th Amendment) Acts, 1992
  • B. The Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023
  • C. The Constitution (81st Amendment) Bill, 1996
  • D. The Constitution (61st Amendment) Act, 1989

Q12. With reference to the rotation of seats reserved for women, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Under the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, reserved seats are to be rotated after each delimitation exercise
  2. The manner of rotation is to be determined by a law made by Parliament
  3. Under the 2008 Bill, reserved seats were to be rotated after every general election
  4. Under the 2023 Act, the rotation of reserved seats is to be carried out by the State Election Commission after every by-election
  • A. 1, 2 and 4
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 3 only