Context:
Southern States will not lose Seats on Delimitation: Union Home Minister.
Delimitation:
- Process of fixing the number of seats and boundaries of territorial constituencies in each State for the Lok Sabha and Legislative assemblies.
- Constitutional Provisions –
- Articles 82 and 170 provide for readjustment and the division of each State into territorial constituencies (Parliamentary constituencies and Assembly constituencies) by such authority and in such manner as Parliament may, by law, determine.
- Articles 330 and 332 provide for refixing number of seats reserved for SCs and STs in Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies of States.
- 84th Constitutional Amendment, 2001 – Froze the delimitation of constituencies until the first census after 2026
Delimitation Commission:
- High-level body established under the Delimitation Act, 2002.
- Constitutional basis – Article 82 mandates the Parliament to enact a Delimitation Act and constitute Delimitation commission after every Census.
- Mandate – Readjustment of the constituencies (number and boundaries) of Lok Sabha and State Assemblies after every Census.
- Members are appointed by – President of India
- Composition –
- A SC judge (Current or retired) acts as Chairman
- The Chief Election Commissioner of India or an Election Commissioner nominated by him/her.
- Respective State’s Election Commissioner.
- In the performance of its functions it has all the powers of a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
- Its orders have the force of law and cannot be called in question before any court.
- These orders come into force on a date to be specified by the President of India
- The copies of its orders are laid before the House of the People and the State Legislative Assembly concerned, but no modifications are permissible therein by them.
- It has been set up 4 times since independence i.e. in 1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002.
Source: TH
Previous Year Question
How many Delimitation Commissions have been constituted by the Government of India till December 2023?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2024 Prelims]
(a) One
(b)Two
(c) Three
(d) Four
Answer: (d)