Special Majority Requirement for Constitutional Amendments
Article 368
Article 368 of the Constitution governs the procedure for constitutional amendments. Amendments affecting the basic structure of governance require a special majority — two-thirds of members present and voting in each House, provided this also constitutes a majority of the total membership of the House.
- Article 368(2): Bills amending the Constitution must be passed by a majority of the total membership of each House AND two-thirds of members present and voting.
- "Total membership" means all members of the House (543 for Lok Sabha) — not just those present.
- Some amendments additionally require ratification by at least half of state legislatures (e.g., those altering federal provisions).
- Simple majority (>50% of those present and voting) is sufficient for ordinary legislation.
- "Effective majority" (>50% of total membership) is required for certain motions like removal of the Vice President.
- The 131st Amendment Bill needed 352 votes (two-thirds of 528 present = 352); it received only 298.
● Tracked since March 23, 2026 · last seen April 18, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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