How many parliamentary constituencies are reserved for the scheduled caste?
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In India, a certain number of political positions and university posts are held for specific groups of the population, including Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, Anglo-Indians and Women.
There are reserved constituencies in both Parliamentary and State Assembly elections. Candidates of General category are not eligible to contest from these constituencies. All voters are to vote for one of the candidates (from Scheduled Castes or Schedule Tribes). In case of Municipal elections and other Local Bodies elections, the constituencies are known as Wards. Thus, there may be as many Wards or Constituencies as the number of elected seats in the elected body. Reserved constituencies are those constituencies in which seats are reserved for SCs and STs on the basis of their population.
In earlier History of India under British rule, separate electorate meant not only were the seats reserved for a specific community, but voting for the reserved constituency was allowed for only members of that specific community. For example, only Muslims could vote for Muslim candidates in the reserved constituencies for Muslims.
A number of seats in the Parliament of India, State Assemblies, Municipalities and Village level institutions are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). Though seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, they are elected by all the voters in a constituency, without any separate electorate. Also a member of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is not debarred from contesting a general i.e. non-reserved seat. This system was introduced by the Constitution of India in 1950 and was supposed to be in place for the first 10 years, to ensure participation in politics by these groups which were deemed weak and needing special protection. Under 95th amendment to Indian Constitution , this reservation is to last until 2020.[citation needed].
The population figure of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in percentage terms with reference to the total population figure had increased from 14.6% in 1971 census to 16.2% in 2001 census. Similarly, the population figure of Scheduled Tribes had increased from 6.9% in 1971 census to 8.2% in 2001 census. The overall increase of population figure of SC and ST in 2001 census has led the Delimitation Commission to increase the seats for Scheduled Castes in Lok Sabha from 79 to 84 and for Scheduled Tribes from 41 to 47 out of 543 constituencies, as per Delimitation of Parliamentary & Assembly Constituencies Order - 2008.
Allocation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha are made on the basis of proportion of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the State concerned to that of the total population, provide provision contained in Article 330 of the Constitution of India read with Section 3 of the R. P. Act, 1950