How many Nominated members were in Lok Sabha?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is (3): Historically, there were two nominated members in the Lok Sabha. These members were from the Anglo-Indian community and were nominated by the President of India if he or she believed that the community was not adequately represented in the Lok Sabha. This provision was enshrined in Article 331 of the Indian Constitution, aiming to ensure that the unique voice and concerns of the Anglo-Indian community were heard in the highest legislative body. Therefore, the number of nominated members, before a recent constitutional amendment, was indeed two.

The incorrect option is (1): The number 3 has never been the figure for nominated members in the Lok Sabha. The constitutional provision specifically allowed for the nomination of a maximum of two members from the Anglo-Indian community, not three. There is no historical or constitutional basis for three nominated members in the Lok Sabha.

The incorrect option is (2): The number 4 is incorrect because the provision in the Constitution specifically limited the nominated members to two, not four. If the intention was to provide greater representation, the number would have been explicitly mentioned as such in the constitutional articles.

The incorrect option is (4): The number 9 is significantly higher than any constitutional provision for nominated members in the Lok Sabha. Such a large number of nominated members would drastically alter the composition and representative nature of the directly elected house of Parliament, which is not in line with the democratic principles of India.