Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in Lok Sabha: what changes for J&K, Delhi and Puducherry

The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, currently before Lok Sabha and discussed widely in current-affairs material around 22 April 2026, is the third leg of a constitutional reform package. The other two are the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, 2026. Together, these are aimed at carrying out a fresh delimitation of Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies and operationalising the women's reservation provisions enacted earlier through the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Constitution 106th Amendment, 2023).

The Bill amends three statutes: the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. Its main task is to extend the new delimitation framework and the one-third women's reservation to legislative assemblies in Union Territories – currently Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.

Key features include raising the maximum number of UT representatives in the Lok Sabha from 20 to 35 and giving the Delimitation Commission, set up under the Delimitation Bill 2026, the authority to redraw assembly seats in these UTs. Seats reserved for women will be allotted by rotation across constituencies in successive elections, mirroring the model used for SC and ST reservation. Parliament has had a charged debate, with the Opposition raising questions on the timing and the absence of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.

Exam angle: Aspirants should track three numbers – Constitution 131st Amendment Bill 2026, Constitution 106th Amendment 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan), and the new ceiling of 35 UT seats in Lok Sabha. Articles 239 to 239AB on Union Territories, and the 2019 reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir, are essential prelims background.