History of the Fourth Schedule
When the Constitution was adopted in 1949, the Rajya Sabha was supposed to have 217 seats out of which 205 were to be elected and 12 were to be nominated. When the Constitution came into force in 1950 there were 216 seats in the Rajya Sabha. 204 seats were to be distributed among the States and the Union Territories and 12 people were to be nominated.
The Fourth Schedule has been amended thrice by the Andhra State Act, 1953, the Bihar and West Bengal (Transfer of Territories) Act, 1956 and the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. Since 1952 the number of seats allocated to the States and Union Territories has changed. In 1954 there were 204 elective seats which increased to 207 in 1956 and later to 220 in 1970. The number of nominated seats has remained the same at 12.
Presently, there are 238 seats allocated to the States and Union Territories out of which 233 are filled. Currently the total strength of the Rajya Sabha is 245- 233 elected and 12 nominated.
The Fourth Schedule is always modified each time a new state is created or a change is made to the existing states.
4th Schedule of Indian Constitution – UPSC Notes
Fourth (4th) Schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with the distribution of seats in the Rajya Sabha. The total number of seats in the Rajya Sabha is 250 out of which 238 seats are divided between the States and Union Territories and 12 seats are reserved for nomination by the President. The number of seats allocated varies from state to state. Originally the Indian Constitution consisted of only eight schedules. Four more schedules were later added by the process of amendment. The term schedule was first used in the Government of India Act, 1935 where ten schedules were mentioned.
Table of Content
- What is the Fourth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?
- History of the Fourth Schedule
- Constitutional Articles attached with the Fourth Schedule of the Indian Constitution
- Main Provisions of the Fourth Schedule
- List of Seats Allocated to each State and Union Territory
- FAQs on 4th Schedule of Indian Constitution
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