Minimum Legislative Assembly Size for the State of Goa
Official heading: “Special provision with respect to the State of Goa”
- Source edition
- The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
- Source locator
- Part XXI, Article 371I, printed page 244
- Last human source-link check
- Not yet checked
- Last human legal review
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1. In One Sentence
Provides that the Legislative Assembly of the State of Goa shall consist of not less than forty members.
2. What It Means in Everyday Language
Inserted by the Constitution (Fifty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1987 when Goa was separated from Daman and Diu and conferred full statehood, Article 371I provides an exception to the normal constitutional floor for state assemblies.
Under Article 170(1), a State Legislative Assembly must normally consist of not less than sixty members.
Recognizing Goa’s small geographical area and population while ensuring stable representative democracy, Article 371I stipulates that the Legislative Assembly of the State of Goa shall consist of not less than forty members.
3. Practical Illustrative Example
Elections are held for the 40-seat Legislative Assembly of the State of Goa.
4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions
Article 371I tailors democratic assembly sizing to Goa’s territorial demographics.
- Fifty-sixth Amendment: Enacted in 1987 upon Goa achieving statehood.
- Exception to Article 170: Permits a 40-seat assembly instead of the standard 60-seat minimum.
- Full statehood status: Ensures viable legislative governance for a compact State.
5. Operative Constitutional Text
6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations
Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.
- •Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part XXI, Article 371I, printed page 244 • Human source-link check pending
Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.