Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 Defeated in Lok Sabha Context: A united Opposition defeated the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, with 298 votes in favour and 230 against, falling short of the required two-thirds majority (352 votes) needed for constitutional amendments. The Bill aimed to redistribute Lok Sabha seats based on the 2011 Census, linking it to the implementation of women’s reservation ahead of the 2029 general elections. Following the defeat, the government withdrew two related Bills: Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, Delimitation Bill, 2026 Types of Majorities in Indian Parliament The process of making a law in Parliament starts when a Bill is introduced and concludes once it receives the approval of the President. The Indian Parliament uses four different kinds of majorities to decide on various matters. They are Simple majority, Absolute majority, Effective majority and Special majority Simple majority This refers to a situation where more than half of the members who are present and actually voting support a proposal. It is reflected in provisions such as Article 100 – Deals with voting in Houses, quorum, and functioning despite vacancies. Article 108 – Provides for joint sittings of both Houses. Article 169 – Relates to the creation or abolition of State Legislative Councils. Article 356 – Concerns the imposition of President’s Rule. A simple majority is required for Passing ordinary bills in both Parliament and State Legislatures. Approving motions like No-Confidence, Confidence, Adjournment, and Censure motions. Passing resolutions related to Financial Emergency and President’s Rule. Deciding on the creation or abolition of a State Legislative Council. Conducting elections for positions such as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Current Facts Meghalaya has declared the indigenous Khasi and Garo languages as official languages of the state, alongside English. Nominated member Harivansh has been elected…
