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MoL&J issues Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Act, 2025

Kriti
Readjustment of Representation of ST in Goa’s Assembly

On 13-8-2025, the Ministry of Law and Justice issued the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Act, 2025 to provide for the readjustment of seats in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Goa, in so far as such readjustment is necessitated by inclusion of certain communities in the list of the Scheduled Tribes in the State of Goa.

Key Points:

  1. Estimation of population of Scheduled Tribes:

    • The Census Commissioner, on commencement of this Act, will ascertain/ estimate the population as at the last census of the Scheduled Tribes in Goa.

    • The population figures ascertained by the Census Commissioner will be notified in the Gazette of India.

    • This population figures will replace any figures previously published and will be final and will not be called in question in any Court.

  2. Readjustment of seats by Commission:

    • On publication of new figures in the official gazette, the Election Commission will make necessary amendments in the Delimitation Order for the purpose of giving proper representation to the Scheduled Tribes of Goa.

    • The Representation of the People Act, 1950 will be deemed to have been amended accordingly.

    • The Election Commissioner will have to:

      • publish its proposals for the amendments in the Gazette of India and the Official Gazette of the State;

      • specify a date on or after which such proposals will be further considered by it;

      • consider all objections and suggestions which may have been received;

      • thereafter make necessary amendments in the Delimitation Order.

  3. Procedure and Powers of Election Commission:

    • Election Commission will have the powers of a Civil Court under Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 while trying a suit in respect of the following matters:

      • summoning and enforcing the attendance of witnesses;

      • requiring the production of any document;

      • requisitioning any public record from any court or office.

    • Election Commission has the power to correct any mistake or correct an error in the Delimitation Order.

    • Election Commission can ask any person to furnish any information which it considers useful.

    • The Commission shall be deemed to be a civil court for the purposes of Section 384 (Procedure in certain cases of contempt) and Section 385 (Procedure where Court considers that case should not be dealt with under Section 384) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

    • For attendance of witnesses, the local limits of jurisdiction of the Election Commission will be the limits of the territory of India.

  4. Publication of amendments and their dates of operation:

    • The amendments made by the Election Commission in the Delimitation Order will be published in the Gazette of India and in the official Gazette of the State.

    • Once it is published in the Gazettes, every amendment will be laid before the House of the People and the Legislative Assembly of the State.

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