Part XXI - Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions • Article

Article 387 Simplified: Special provision as to determination of population for the purposes of certain elections

Article 387 originally allowed the President to determine by order the population of India for the first general elections (1951-1952), before the official 1951 census figures were published. This allowed election constituencies to be delimited and seat reservations to be calculated without delay.

Official Text

Omitted by the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956, s. 29 and Sch. (w.e.f. 1-11-1956).

Simple Meaning

Explain Like Ten

To set up the first voting districts in 1951, the government needed to count how many people lived where. But the census wasn't finished! This rule let the President estimate the numbers so the first elections could start on time. It was deleted in 1956.

Student Mode

Article 387 was a transitional provision that empowered the President to determine by order the population of India for the first general elections (1951-1952), before the formal 1951 census was completed. This estimate was critical for drawing constituency boundaries (delimitation) and calculating seat reservations under Articles 81, 330, and 332. It was repealed by the 7th Amendment in 1956.

Example

To organize the first general election in 1951, the President signed an order under Article 387 estimating the population of different states, enabling the Election Commission to draw constituency boundaries and calculate SC/ST reserved seats before census results were ready.

Key Takeaway

A repealed article that gave the President temporary power to estimate population figures for constituency delimitation before the first census.

FAQs

Why was Article 387 crucial for the first general election?

Due to the partition of India, millions of refugees had migrated, dramatically changing population counts in border provinces. Preparing official census reports took years, so Article 387 allowed the President to use population estimates to avoid delaying the historic first elections.

What presidential order was issued under this article?

The President issued the Constitution (Determination of Population) Order, 1950, which set the population estimates for various states.

Quiz

Who held the power under Article 387 to determine population estimates for early elections?

Answer: The President of India

Why was the census population data not used for the first general election in 1951?

Answer: The official 1951 census results were not yet completed or published