Representation of the Anglo-Indian Community in the House of the People
Quick Summary (TL;DR)
Article 331 (Representation of the Anglo-Indian Community in the House of the People): Secures legislative representation and National Commissions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes (Part XVI).
In Simple Citizen Words
Article 331 ('Representation of the Anglo-Indian Community in the House of the People') in Part XVI (Special Provisions Relating to Certain Classes) institutionalizes social justice and political representation for historically marginalized communities. It governs reserved seats for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha (Art 330) and State Assemblies (Art 332), claims in public services (Art 335), and the constitutional National Commissions for Scheduled Castes (Art 338), Scheduled Tribes (Art 338A), and Backward Classes (Art 338B). Specifically: Notwithstanding anything in article 81, the President may, if he is of opinion that the Anglo-Indian community is not adequately represented in the House of the People, nominate not more than two members of that community to the House of...
Key Constitutional Provisions
Constitutional Mandate (Art. 331): Directly codifies the legal rule for 'Representation of the Anglo-Indian Community in the House of the People' under Part XVI
Sets a direct, self-contained constitutional command binding on public authorities across India
Exercises of constitutional office under this article must follow aid, advice, and established constitutional conventions
Exceptions & Reasonable Restrictions
Under Article 341 and Article 342, once the Presidential notification specifying Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes is issued, any inclusion or exclusion can only be done by an Act of Parliament.
Why This Matters in Daily Life
Fulfils Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's vision of political and social democracy by giving marginalized communities a guaranteed voice in legislatures and constitutional commissions with civil-court powers to investigate atrocities.
Want deeper legal & historical context? Explore the official Bare Act or Supreme Court Precedents & CAD Debates: