Why in News?
The Supreme Court ruled that states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana cannot demand delimitation citing Jammu & Kashmir, as states are constitutionally barred from delimitation until post-2026 under Article 170(3), unlike Union Territories like J&K.
Description:
Delimitation is the process of redrawing boundaries of electoral constituencies based on latest population data, to ensure equal representation for equal segments of the population.
It applies to both Parliamentary and State Legislative Assembly constituencies.
Objectives of Delimitation:
- Equal Representation: Ensures constituencies have similar population sizes.
- Electoral Fairness: Prevents over- or under-representation.
- Demographic Adjustment: Reflects population changes due to migration or growth.
- Correct Malapportionment: Fixes imbalances where one MP may represent 25 lakh people (e.g., UP) vs another representing 10 lakh (e.g., Kerala).
Constitutional Basis:
| Article | Provision |
| Article 82 | Parliament to enact a Delimitation Act after each Census for Lok Sabha |
| Article 170 | Delimitation of State Legislative Assembly constituencies |
| Schedule 1 | Allocation of seats to each state |
Delimitation Commission:
- Appointed by: President of India
- In Consultation with: Election Commission of India
- Composition:
- Retired Supreme Court Judge (Chairperson)
- Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)
- State Election Commissioners (for relevant states)
- Powers:
- Independent and not subject to judicial review
- Decisions are final and cannot be questioned in any court
Southern States’ Concerns:
- Penalised for successful population control
- Economic contributors (South contributes ~60% of taxes) but may lose representation
- Potential harm to Cooperative Federalism
Way Forward:
- Increase Lok Sabha seats (rather than redistribute existing ones)
- Use weighted formula combining population and governance performance
- Strengthen Rajya Sabha to protect interests of low-growth states
- Phased Implementation for political stability.
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