Question

The constitution of India allows for a maximum of:

• A. 543 members in the Lok Sabha
• B. 560 members in the Lok Sabha
• C. 550 members in the Lok Sabha
• D. 545 members in the Lok Sabha

Hint:

Remember to account for the recent 104th Amendment! The old maximum ceiling of 552 dropped to 550 after the 2 Anglo-Indian nominated seats were removed.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Concept: The composition and membership caps for the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of Parliament) are governed by Article 81 of the Constitution of India.

Step 1: Tracking constitutional amendments to Lok Sabha membership.
Originally, the maximum structural ceiling of the house was set at 552 members:
• up to 530 members representing the States.
• up to 20 members representing the Union Territories.
• 2 members nominated from the Anglo-Indian community by the President under Article 331.

Step 2: Factoring in the 104th Constitutional Amendment Act.
The 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019 discontinued the reservation and nomination of the 2 Anglo-Indian members. As a result, the maximum allowable strength of the Lok Sabha was reduced from 552 to 550 members (530 from States + 20 from UTs).

Step 3: Differentiating current operational vs. maximum strength.
While the *actual* filled operational seats sit around 543 members, the *maximum permitted strength* allowed by the Constitution is 550. This makes Option (C) the correct choice.