Context

• The ongoing discourse on delimitation and financial devolution has sparked intense debates in Parliament and various State Assemblies, raising concerns about the potential impact on India's federal structure.
• The development divide across different regions of the country has significant demographic implications, which should be acknowledged in the process of delimitation and financial devolution.
• With the expiry of the constitutional freeze on the number of parliamentary seats approaching, anxieties surrounding the political representation of peninsular and northern states have become more pronounced.

Historical Context of Delimitation in India

• The Early Years After Independence
  • India’s first delimitation exercise took place soon after the country gained independence in 1947.
  • In the initial years, the country’s electoral system was based on the geographical and political realities of post-independence India, which included a need for equal representation of each state in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament).
  • The initial delimitation process, based on the Census data of 1951, set the groundwork for determining the number of parliamentary seats allotted to each state.
• Between 1951 and 1971
  • Between 1951 and 1971, India conducted three major exercises to revise the number of parliamentary seats in accordance with population growth.
  • As the population increased, so did the demand for political representation, and the number of seats in the Lok Sabha was adjusted accordingly.
  • This was especially important because India’s population was growing rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and the government sought to ensure that each state had a fair representation relative to its population size.
  • In 1951, one Lok Sabha seat represented about 7.3 lakh (730,000) people.
  • By 1971, this number had increased to 10.1 lakh (1 million) per seat, due to India’s rapidly growing population.
  • This period saw a rise in the number of Lok Sabha seats from 489 to 543.
  • The increase in seats was in direct proportion to the population growth during the two decades.
  • The rise in the number of seats aimed to ensure that the representation remained proportional to the growing population of the country.
• The Constitutional Freeze: Post-1971 Delimitation
  • In 1971, following the third delimitation exercise, the Indian government decided to freeze the number of Lok Sabha seats at 543, regardless of the population increase.
  • This freeze was enshrined in the Constitution through the 42nd Amendment Act of 1976, with the stipulation that this freeze would remain in effect until 2026.
  • The purpose of this freeze was to prevent the over-representation of heavily populated states and to ensure that smaller states would not be overshadowed by their larger counterparts.
  • The freeze on the number of seats in Parliament was seen as a way to curb disproportionate political power in favour of states with larger populations, such as UP, Bihar, and MP, and to ensure greater political stability and equitable representation across the country.
  • This decision to freeze the number of seats had significant consequences for India's political structure, particularly with respect to the demographic changes that occurred in subsequent decades.
  • As the country’s population continued to grow, the average number of people per Lok Sabha seat increased.
  • From 1971 to 2021, India’s population grew substantially, but the number of parliamentary seats remained the same.
  • This meant that the population representation per seat gradually rose.

Political Representation and Its Implications

• The concerns regarding political representation are not unfounded.
• The 15th Finance Commission was the first to address this issue by substituting the 1971 population data with 2011 data in the devolution exercise.
• This led to an increase in the weightage given to population, from 0.15 to 0.27, balancing states with larger populations and poor demographic performance against those with smaller populations and better demographic indicators.
• The argument that southern states will not lose seats while northern states will gain them oversimplifies the complexity of the issue.
• The key concern is whether every seat should represent an average of 20 lakh people or if an alternative approach, such as population density, should be considered.

The Way Forward to Resolve Debates Surrounding Delimitation

• Beyond Population Count: A More Holistic Approach
  • The demographic considerations surrounding representation and financial devolution extend beyond mere population size.
  • The 15th Finance Commission attempted to address this by incorporating demographic performance into the population component of financial allocations.
  • A major flaw in the current approach to representation and resource allocation is the over-reliance on per capita calculations.
  • This method often fails to capture the true socio-economic and demographic characteristics of different regions.
  • The proposed delimitation exercise must take into account factors such as gender, caste-based reservations, and regional disparities rather than relying solely on gross population counts.
  • A key challenge in population-based allocation is the tendency to assume that all individuals have equal needs and entitlements, which overlooks the inherent diversity within India's population.
  • A per capita-based approach can lead to misleading conclusions and inequitable resource distribution.
  • In the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), indiscriminate use of per capita indicators often results in flawed assessments, as it does not accommodate the unique characteristics of different populations.
• The Need for a Demographic Outlook
  • A more nuanced demographic outlook is essential to resolving the current debates surrounding delimitation and financial devolution.
  • Instead of viewing population as a mere headcount, policymakers should consider various demographic attributes, such as age distribution, literacy levels, income disparities, and healthcare needs.
  • These factors should be incorporated into the decision-making process to ensure a fair and balanced allocation of political representation and financial resources.
  • India’s delimitation process is at a critical juncture, and any revisions must be carefully designed to maintain regional balance and uphold the principles of federalism.

Conclusion

• As India approaches the expiration of the constitutional freeze on parliamentary seats, it is crucial to rethink the criteria for delimitation and financial devolution.
• The nation must move beyond simple population counts and embrace a more inclusive demographic approach to ensure equitable representation.
• A balanced strategy, one that considers population density, demographic characteristics, and socio-economic factors, will be key to maintaining the integrity of India’s democratic framework.
• By acknowledging regional disparities and implementing fair representation practices, India can uphold its federal character while addressing the evolving demographic challenges of the 21st century.