Issues Around Delimitation, Pg 10

• What is Delimitation? - It refers to fixing the number of seats and defining boundaries of constituencies for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. - The last delimitation was based on the 1971 Census, freezing the number of seats at 543, though the population has grown significantly. - The process is mandated to be carried out after the first Census post-2026.

• Issues with the Delimitation Exercise: - Uneven Population Growth: Northern states like UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan have seen higher growth compared to Southern states (Kerala, TN, Karnataka, AP). - Potential Shift in Representation: If seats are reallocated without increasing the total number (543), some states will gain or lose seats based on their population share. - Alternative Proposal: Increase Lok Sabha seats to 848 to balance representation across states.

• Concerns Over Federalism & Equity: - Southern and smaller northern states (Punjab, HP, Uttarakhand) may lose political influence despite better population control. - This violates federal principles, reducing the representation of states that successfully controlled their population.

• Government's Stand: - Amit Shah assured that no state will lose seats, and the increase will be on a pro-rata basis for all states, including the southern states. - However, basis of this pro-rata share is unclear (current seat share vs projected population).

• Maintaining 543 seats and redistributing proportionally could disenfranchise population-controlled states.

• Cap Lok Sabha seats and increase MLAs in states to ensure fair regional representation while upholding federalism.

• A balance between democracy (one-person-one-vote) and regional interests must be ensured.

Mains Mock Question:

"Discuss the implications of the upcoming delimitation exercise on Indian federalism and political representation. Should representation be based on projected population or historical seat shares?"