104th Constitutional Amendment Act Provision Explained

The 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2020 brought about significant changes to certain provisions of the Indian Constitution. The primary focus of this amendment was the extension of reservation for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament) and the State Legislative Assemblies (Vidhan Sabhas).

Extension of SC/ST Reservation

Before this amendment, the reservation of seats for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies was set to expire on January 25, 2020. The 104th Constitutional Amendment Act extended this reservation for another ten years. This means the provision for reserving seats for SCs and STs in the respective legislatures is now valid until January 25, 2030.

This extension was crucial for ensuring continued political representation for these communities, reflecting the constitutional commitment to social justice and equality.

Other Provisions Addressed

While the main provision extended was the SC/ST reservation, the 104th Amendment also dealt with the nomination of members from the Anglo-Indian community. The Act provided that the nomination of members from the Anglo-Indian community to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies would cease. This specific provision of nomination expired on January 25, 2020, and was not extended by this amendment.

Analysis of Options

Let's look at why the other options are not related to the 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2020:

• Term of the Lok Sabha: The term of the Lok Sabha is typically five years, subject to dissolution. Constitutional amendments related to the term are infrequent and not associated with the 104th Amendment.
• GST Council term: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is a body established under the 101st Constitutional Amendment Act related to indirect taxation. Its terms and functions are governed by that amendment and related legislation, not the 104th Amendment.
• Voting age for elections: The voting age in India was changed from 21 to 18 years by the 61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988. The 104th Amendment did not alter the voting age.

Therefore, the specific provision extended under the 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2020 was the reservation for SC/ST in legislatures.