Constitution of India, 1949
81. Composition of the House of the People.-
(1) Subject to the provisions of Article 331
the House of the People shall consist of -
(a) not more than five
hundred and thirty members chosen by direct election from territorial
constituencies
in the States, and
(b) not more than
twenty members to represent the Union territories, chosen in such manner as
parliament may by law provide.
(2) For the purposes of sub-clause (a) of
clause (1)-
(a) there shall be
allotted to each State a number of seats in the House of the People in such
manner that the ratio between that number and the population of the State is,
so far as practicable, the same for all States; and
(b) each State shall
be divided into territorial constituencies in such manner that the ratio
between the population of each constituency and the number of seats allotted to
it is, so far as practicable, the same throughout the State:
Provided" that the provisions of
sub-clause (a) of this clause shall not be applicable for the purpose of
allotment of seats in the House of the People to any State so long as the
population of that State does not exceed six millions.
(3) In this article, the expression
"population" means the population as ascertained at the last
preceding census of which the relevant figures have been published: Provided
that the reference in this clause to the last preceding census of which the
relevant figures have been published shall, until the relevant figures for the
first census taken after the year 2000 have been published, be construed as a
reference to the 1971 census.