The delimitation of constituencies is to be carried out on the basis of the first Census after 2026.
The 2021 Census was originally postponed due to COVID-19 and subsequent delays.
Impending delimitation exercise requires a delicate balancing of democratic
representation with federal equity:
● In democracy, the government is elected by a majority with the broad principle of ‘one
citizen-one vote-one value’.
○ delicate balance required in adjusting constituency populations, ensuring
alignment with legal and constitutional mandates for fair and equal
representation.
● The primary concern lies in selecting an appropriate method for allocating state
seats.
○ This decision will profoundly shape the overall fairness of political
representation.
● Relying on obsolete data can result in a misalignment between political
representation and actual demographic distribution.
○ In the 1971 Census, UP’s population was 8.8 crore.
■ Official projections estimate UP’s population to be 23.1 crore in 2021.
● The number of seats in the Lok Sabha was frozen at 543 by amending Article 81
through the 42nd Constitution Amendment Act, 1976.
○ extended by the 84th Amendment Act till 2026.
○ demographic shifts due to population boom, urbanization, and migration
patterns could bring South Indian and North-Eastern states at a disadvantage
in number of seats.
● Careful redrawing of electoral boundaries is also essential to prevent
gerrymandering which is deliberate manipulation of boundaries to unfairly favor a
particular political faction.
○ It disproportionately impacts minority and other marginalised communities in
states.
● Articles 330 and 332, coupled with Section 3 of the Representation of Peoples Act,
1950, allocates seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for SCs and STs based on
their proportion to the total population of the respective states.
○ The Bihar caste survey indicates a significant rise in the SC and ST
populations compared to the 2011 Census.
● The Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, inserts Article 334A which
specifically outlines that the implementation of women’s reservation is contingent
upon completing a delimitation exercise.
○ emphasises the nuanced connection between electoral constituency adjustments
and achieving gender parity.
What are international practices?
● In the U.S., the number of seats in the House of Representatives (the equivalent of Lok
Sabha) has been capped at 435 since 1913 despite population growing for times
between 1911-2023.
○ The seats among the States are redistributed after every Census through the
‘method of equal proportion’.
■ This does not result in any significant gain or loss for any of the
States.
■ E.g. Based on the 2020 Census the redistribution has resulted in no
change in the number of seats for 37 States.
● In the European Union (EU) Parliament which consists of 720 members, the number of
seats is divided between 27 member countries based on the principle of ‘degressive
proportionality’.
○ The ratio of population to the number of seats increases as the population
increases.
Ideal solution to this issue in the Indian context:
● The main work of an MP is to legislate on Union List matters like Defence, External
Affairs, etc. and hold the Union government accountable.
○ Hence, the number of MPs in Lok Sabha may be capped at the present
number of 543.
■ would ensure no disruption in the present representation from various
States maintaining the federal equity principle.
● The number of MLAs in each State may be increased in line with the current
population (without changing the number of Rajya Sabha seats) to address the
democratic representational requirement.
● However, the most important reform for strengthening federal democracy is to
empower the local bodies of panchayats and municipalities.
○ The devolution of powers and finances to these bodies must be significantly
increased to strengthen democracy at grass root levels.
A fair delimitation process is paramount to safeguard democratic representation. Due
consideration must be given to the interests of all states reflecting demographic shift while
maintaining federal equity.
