What are the problems round delimitation?

What’s Delimitation?

• Strategy of fixing the variety of seats and bounds of constituencies for Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.

• Carried out by the Delimitation Fee, constituted by an Act of Parliament.
• Based mostly on Census knowledge:
  • 1951, 1961, 1971 Census-based workouts performed.
  • 1971 Census-based seat allocation (543 seats) was frozen to encourage inhabitants management measures.
  • Re-adjustment due after 2026 based mostly on the primary Census thereafter.

Relevance : GS 2(Polity)

Points Round Delimitation

1. Uneven Inhabitants Progress Throughout States

• States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan noticed excessive inhabitants development.
• Southern States (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh) and smaller northern & northeastern States have decrease development charges.

2. Potential Eventualities for Redistribution

• Situation 1: Preserve 543 seats however redistribute amongst States.
• Situation 2: Improve the full seats to 848 based mostly on projected inhabitants.

3. Drawback to Southern & Smaller States

• If seat distribution relies on projected inhabitants, Southern and smaller northern/northeastern States lose political illustration.
• Southern States’ share might scale back from 24% to 19% in Lok Sabha.
• Might affect federalism, violating the Primary Construction Doctrine.
• Lack of political bargaining energy for States that carried out inhabitants management successfully.

4. Lack of Readability on ‘Professional-Rata’ Foundation

• House Minister Amit Shah assured no discount in seats for any State.
• Nonetheless, the foundation of enhance (present share or projected inhabitants) stays unclear.

Doable Options

1. Capping Lok Sabha Seats at 543

• Instance: U.S. Home of Representatives capped at 435 since 1913, regardless of inhabitants development.
• India has managed with 543 MPs since 1976 regardless of inhabitants enhance from 55 crore to 145 crore.
• Prevents disadvantaging well-performing States by way of inhabitants management.

2. Improve State Legislative Meeting Seats As a substitute

• MPs primarily legislate on Union issues; State points dealt with by State governments.
• Growing MLAs in State Assemblies ensures higher native illustration with out disturbing nationwide political stability.

3. Guaranteeing Truthful Illustration for All Areas

• Safeguards for federal stability ought to be launched to stop disenfranchisement of any area.
• Parliamentary consensus wanted to take care of equitable illustration throughout States.