Article 330 of the Costitution of India with Case law
Article 330 of the Constitution of India
Title: Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the House of the People
Text of Article 330 (as amended):
(1) Seats shall be reserved in the House of the People (Lok Sabha) for:
(a) the Scheduled Castes (SCs); and
(b) the Scheduled Tribes (STs), except the Scheduled Tribes in the autonomous districts of Assam.
(2) The number of seats reserved shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of seats in the House as the population of the SCs and STs in the respective States/UTs bears to the total population of those States/UTs.
(3) Notwithstanding anything in clause (2), the number of seats reserved for the Scheduled Tribes in the autonomous districts of Assam shall be determined differently as per law.
✅ Key Points:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Applies to | House of the People (Lok Sabha) |
| Groups Covered | Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) |
| Basis | Proportion of SC/ST population to total population in each State/UT |
| Review | Subject to constitutional amendments (last extended by 104th Amendment till 2030) |
⚖️ Important Case Laws on Article 330:
🔹 Kartik Oraon v. David Munzni
AIR 1974 SC 659
Issue: Whether a candidate must belong to a recognized Scheduled Tribe in that specific State for a reserved seat.
Held: A candidate must belong to the SC/ST community as notified in that particular State to contest from a reserved seat.
Significance: Prevents candidates from using SC/ST certificates from other States to claim reservation.
🔹 Marri Chandra Shekhar Rao v. Dean, Seth G.S. Medical College
AIR 1990 SC 95
Held: SC/ST status is State-specific. A person belonging to SC/ST in one State cannot claim the same benefit in another State unless listed in that State.
Relevance to Article 330: Reinforces State-based reservation eligibility in Lok Sabha elections.
🔹 K. C. Vasanth Kumar v. State of Karnataka
AIR 1985 SC 1495
Discussed purpose of reservation as a means of upliftment, not permanent privilege.
Though primarily about job reservations, it supports the temporary and revisable nature of reservations like those in Article 330.
🔹 Indra Sawhney v. Union of India
AIR 1993 SC 477
Though focused on OBC reservations and jobs, it discussed the philosophy and limits of affirmative action, supporting quantitative and qualitative evaluation of backwardness — relevant when interpreting the validity and continuation of SC/ST reservations in Lok Sabha.
🧾 Related Constitutional Amendments:
| Amendment | Impact |
|---|---|
| 1st (1951) | Validated reservation in electoral representation |
| 8th (1960) | Clarified reservation for STs in Assam |
| 104th (2020) | Extended SC/ST reservation in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies till 2030; ended reservation for Anglo-Indians in legislatures |
📘 Related Articles:
| Article | Subject |
|---|---|
| 331 | Representation of Anglo-Indians (now repealed) |
| 332 | Reservation in Legislative Assemblies of States |
| 334 | Duration of reservation |
| 341/342 | Definition of SCs and STs |
✅ Conclusion:
Article 330 ensures political representation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha by reserving seats in proportion to their population. This constitutional provision:
Aims to empower historically marginalized groups,
Has been periodically extended through amendments,
And has been shaped by key judgments affirming state-specific and identity-based interpretation.
RELATED Blog
0 comments