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Source– The post is based on the article “India and the great power contest in West Asia” published in “The Hindu” on 25th September 2023.
Syllabus: GS2- Polity
Relevance- Issues related to delimitation process
News– The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, which promises 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha, and in the Legislative Assemblies of States sheds the spotlight on the delimitation of electoral constituencies.
What are past delimitation exercises taken by the government?
Since the 1970s, the number of Lok Sabha seats has remained unchanged. The Constitution (Forty-Second Amendment) Act of 1976 froze the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies based on the 1971 Census, up until the Census 2001.
In 2001, this deadline was extended to 2026 through an amendment to Article 82 by the Constitution (Eighty-Fourth Amendment) Act. Boundaries of electoral constituencies were redrawn in 2002. But, the total number of Lok Sabha seats remained the same.
What are issues in conducting a fresh delimitation?
The freeze on delimitation- It was imposed in 1976 to address the concerns of states actively involved in population control. They were facing the possibility of a reduction in their Lok Sabha seats.
The allocation based on the 1971 Census remains unchanged despite India’s significant population growth since then.
Using 1971 figures to represent the present population contradicts the principles of the Constitution and distorts the essence of representative democracy.
Issues related to federalism and the representation of states- The northern states have experienced faster population growth compared to the southern states.
This means that Members of Parliament (MPs) from northern states represent more voters than their counterparts in the south.
The delimitation has significant implications for both individual voters and states. Southern states may potentially lose some of their parliamentary seats once the delimitation exercise is completed based on current population figures.
Population data for the delimitation- The 2021 Census was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Union Home Minister has indicated that the next Census and subsequent delimitation will take place after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Recent examples- The recent delimitation process in Assam highlighted widespread concerns about altering district boundaries and renaming constituencies, potentially impacting the representation of specific communities.
For more reading- Delimitation
