DELIMITATION’S IMPACT ON SOUTHERN STATES

GS2 POLITY: 

1. What Is Delimitation?

• Redrawing electoral boundaries to ensure equal representation.
• Mandated by the Constitution after each Census.
• Last major delimitation happened in 2001, following a freeze on seat changes since 1976.

2. Historical Context

• Conducted in 1951, 1961, and 1971 based on Census data.
• 42nd Amendment (1976) froze seat allocation to avoid penalizing states with successful family planning policies.

3. Constitutional Provisions

• Article 82: Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after each Census.
• Article 170: State assembly constituencies are also redrawn after each Census.

4. Concerns of Southern States

• Southern states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala have lower population growth than northern states.
• Fear of losing representation in Parliament.
• Tamil Nadu’s seats may remain stagnant, while Kerala could lose seats.

5. Population Trends & Projections

• Northern states (e.g., Uttar Pradesh, Bihar) will gain seats.
• Example: Uttar Pradesh’s seats may rise from 85 to 250 if delimitation is based on population size.
• Could lead to an imbalance in national policymaking.

6. Electoral Implications

• Likely to benefit northern political parties, including the BJP.
• Southern parties and Congress fear reduced influence in national politics.

7. Global Comparisons

United States

• House of Representatives fixed at 435 seats since 1913.
• Seats are redistributed after each Census using the method of equal proportion.
• Example: 37 states had no seat changes in the 2020 Census.

European Union (EU)

• 720 members in the EU Parliament.
• Seats are allocated based on ‘degressive proportionality’.
• Example:
  • Denmark (60 lakh) → 15 seats (1 seat per 4 lakh people).
  • Germany (8.3 crore) → 96 seats (1 seat per 8.6 lakh people).

8. Future Considerations

• If the average population per constituency is set at 15 lakh, southern states may see modest seat increases.
• However, overall distribution will favor populous northern states, potentially widening regional disparities.

Mains Question

The upcoming delimitation exercise in India may disproportionately impact the representation of southern states in Parliament. Critically analyze the implications of this process on federalism and regional political balance.