CONSTITUTIONAL BASIS AND THE DEBATE

• Delimitation is mandated by Articles 82 and 170 of the Constitution.
• It is meant to readjust seat allocation after each Census.
• Deferred through the 42nd Amendment, with next adjustment due after 2026 Census.
• Southern states express concerns about being underrepresented due to lower population growth.

RISING TENSIONS AND IRONIES

• Some who previously demanded adherence to constitutional principles now advocate for freezing/postponing delimitation.
• Extreme responses include calls to increase birth rates to avoid being outnumbered.

POPULATION-BASED SEAT ALLOCATION: HISTORICAL TRENDS

• Lok Sabha seats:
  • 1951: 489 seats → 1977: 542 seats → 2024: 543 seats.
• Average population per seat:
  • 1951: 7.32 lakh → 1977: 10.10 lakh → 2024: ~27 lakh.
• Vidhan Sabha seats:
  • 1951: 3,283 → 2024: 4,123.
• Electoral disparity example:
  • Lakshadweep: 57,760 electors vs. Malkajgiri: 29.5 lakh electors.

CHALLENGES OF POPULATION AS THE SOLE CRITERION

• No fixed formula for population-per-seat.
• Census-based allocation doesn’t account for:
  • Geographic contiguity.
  • Administrative boundaries.
  • Public policy success in population control.
• Using only population could skew federal balance and create regional disparities.

RE-EVALUATING ‘REPRESENTATION’

• Larger constituencies don’t necessarily mean poorer representation.
• MPs’ legislative duties aren’t affected by the number of constituents.
• Local issues better addressed by strengthening local governance, not by increasing Parliament seats.
• The first-past-the-post system doesn’t weigh constituency size in representation.

NEED FOR A MODERATED CRITERION

• States that effectively controlled population should not be penalized.
• Suggests using a “population deflator” similar to GDP adjustments:
  • For instance, adjust seats by Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to reflect policy success.
  • Hypothetical example: 2024 population could justify 1,440 seats, but TFR-based adjustment may reduce this to ~680.
• A more sophisticated formula can balance growth and fair representation.

A CALL FOR THOUGHTFUL REFORM

• Parliament must debate and reform the delimitation process.
• Avoid structural political imbalance caused by blind reliance on population.
• The objective: uphold federal values while ensuring efficient and fair representation.

MAINS QUESTION

1. What are the implications of Articles 82 and 170 of the Constitution on delimitation, and how have they shaped the debate around seat allocation?
2. How have Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha seats changed since 1951, and what do these changes reveal about the evolving nature of representation in India?