Article 332 Simplified: Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assemblies of the States

Official Text

(1) Seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, [except the Scheduled Tribes in the autonomous districts of Assam], in the Legislative Assembly of every State ***. (2) Seats shall be reserved also for the autonomous districts in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Assam. (3) The number of seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly of any State under clause (1) shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of seats in the Assembly as the population of the Scheduled Castes in the State or of the Scheduled Tribes in the State or part of the State, as the case may be, in respect of which seats are so reserved, bears to the total population of the State. [(3A) Notwithstanding anything contained in clause (3), until the taking effect, under article 170, of the re-adjustment, on the basis of the first census after the year [2026], of the number of seats in the Legislative Assemblies of the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland, the seats which shall be reserved for the Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly of any such State shall be,- (a) if all the seats in the Legislative Assembly of such State in existence on the date of coming into force of the Constitution (Fifty- seventh Amendment) Act, 1987 (hereafter in this clause referred to as the existing Assembly) are held by members of the Scheduled Tribes, all the seats except one; (b) in any other case, such number of seats as bears to the total number of seats, a proportion not less than the number (as on the said date) of members belonging to the Scheduled Tribes in the existing Assembly bears to the total number of seats in the existing Assembly.] [(3B) Notwithstanding anything contained in clause (3), until the re-adjustment, under article 170, takes effect on the basis of the first census after the year [2026], of the number of seats in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Tripura, the seats which shall be reserved for the Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly shall be, such number of seats as bears to the total number of seats, a proportion not less than the number, as on the date of coming into force of the Constitution (Seventy-second Amendment) Act, 1992, of members belonging to the Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly in existence on the said date bears to the total number of seats in that Assembly.] (4) The number of seats reserved for an autonomous district in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Assam shall bear to the total number of seats in that Assembly a proportion not less than the population of the district bears to the total population of the State. (5) The constituencies for the seats reserved for any autonomous district of Assam shall not comprise any area outside that district ***. (6) No person who is not a member of a Scheduled Tribe of any autonomous district of the State of Assam shall be eligible for election to the Legislative Assembly of the State from any constituency of that district ***: [Provided that for elections to the Legislative Assembly of the State of Assam, the representation of the Scheduled Tribes and non-Scheduled Tribes in the constituencies included in the Bodoland Territorial Areas District, so notified, and existing prior to the constitution of Bodoland Territorial Areas District, shall be maintained.]

Simple Meaning

Article 332 deals with reservation of seats for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in the legislative assemblies of the states. It shapes political representation by reserving or continuing seats and ensuring specified groups are represented in Parliament or State Legislatures as the Constitution provides.

Explain Like Ten

This rule says every state assembly must save a certain number of seats just for Scheduled Castes and Tribes, matching their population in that state, so they have a voice in local government.

Student Mode

Requires reservation of seats for SCs and STs in the Legislative Assembly of every state (except STs in the autonomous districts of Assam, which have specific allocations under clause 2). Clause (3) specifies that the seat ratio must bear the same proportion to total seats as the group's population bears to the total state population. Currently locked to the 2001 census standard until a post-2026 census is published.

Example

If an election planner or student asks how reserved seats for women, Scheduled Castes, or Scheduled Tribes operate, Article 332 is one of the constitutional provisions to check.

Key Takeaway

Article 332 connects democratic representation with constitutional safeguards for inclusion.

FAQs

Does Article 332 apply to Union Territories?

Article 332 specifically governs State Legislative Assemblies. However, similar reservation provisions for Union Territories (like Delhi and Puducherry) are legislated under other articles, such as Article 239AA.

How is the number of reserved Vidhan Sabha seats calculated?

It is proportional. For example, if Scheduled Tribes make up 10% of a state's population, approximately 10% of the seats in that State's Legislative Assembly must be reserved for ST candidates.

Quiz

Which article mandates reservation of seats for SCs and STs in State Legislative Assemblies?

Answer: Article 332

The population figures used to determine reservations under Article 332 are currently based on which census?

Answer: 2001 Census

Related Topics

• Article 331
• Article 333