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| What is Article 331 of Indian constitution |
Article 331 of the Indian Constitution
Title: Representation of the Anglo-Indian community in the House of the People
➡️ [Now Repealed by the 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019]
📘 Purpose (before repeal):
Article 331 empowered the President of India to nominate up to two members of the Anglo-Indian community to the Lok Sabha, if the community was not adequately represented through elections.
🔍 Key Provisions (before 2020):
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Provision Type | Nomination of members to Lok Sabha |
| Who had the power? | President of India |
| For which community? | Anglo-Indian (persons of European descent born and living in India) |
| How many could be nominated? | Maximum of 2 members |
| Why? | To ensure adequate representation of the Anglo-Indian community |
| Status | ❌ Repealed by the 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019 |
🧠 Important Notes:
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Anglo-Indian Reservation Ended | ✅ Yes, ended from January 25, 2020 |
| Reason for Repeal | Very small population of the community; no elected representation found necessary |
| Other Related Articles Repealed | Article 333 (State Assemblies) also repealed by the same amendment |
✅ Historical Example:
| Lok Sabha Term | Anglo-Indian Members Nominated |
|---|---|
| 1st Lok Sabha (1952) | Frank Anthony and Marjorie Godfrey |
| 15th Lok Sabha (2009) | Charles Dias (Kerala), Ingrid Mcleod (Chhattisgarh) |
📌 Current Status:
-
Article 331 no longer in effect
-
No nomination for Anglo-Indians in Lok Sabha since 2020
-
SC/ST reservations continue till 2030 under Article 334
Here is a 🗓️ Timeline of Article 331 — highlighting its origin, application, and eventual repeal:
📜 Timeline of Article 331 – Anglo-Indian Representation in Lok Sabha
| Year / Event | Details |
|---|---|
| 26 January 1950 | Constitution of India comes into effect |
| ➡️ Article 331 allows the President to nominate up to 2 Anglo-Indian members to Lok Sabha if the community is underrepresented. | |
| 1952 – 1st Lok Sabha | First nominations under Article 331: |
| ✔️ Frank Anthony and Marjorie Godfrey (Anglo-Indian leaders) nominated. | |
| 1952–2019 | Anglo-Indian members continued to be nominated in every Lok Sabha. |
| Prominent names: Ingrid Mcleod, Charles Dias, Beatrix D’Souza, etc. | |
| 2019 | Government proposes the 104th Constitutional Amendment Bill to end Anglo-Indian reservation. |
| 10 January 2020 | 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019 receives Presidential assent. |
| ✔️ Article 331 officially repealed. | |
| 25 January 2020 | Effective date of repeal. |
| ✔️ No Anglo-Indian nomination from the 17th Lok Sabha onwards. |
🧠 Key Facts:
-
Article 331 did not provide elected seats, only nominated seats for Anglo-Indians.
-
Frank Anthony represented the community for many years post-independence.
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The repeal was justified by the tiny size (under 300) of the Anglo-Indian population as per 2011 Census (though debated).
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