Editorial 1 : For United India, Freeze Lok Sabha
Context: Delimitation in India
Constitutional Framework: Articles Governing Delimitation
- Article 81(1)
- It caps Lok Sabha seats at 530 for states and 20 for Union Territories (Current total: 543).
- It requires seats to be allocated to states in proportion to their population and mandates uniformity in population-to-seat ratio across states as far as practicable.
- Article 81(2): Allows significant deviations from population proportionality (e.g. Goa’s 2 MPs for 1.5 million population vs. Delhi’s 7 MPs for 33.8 million population).
- Article 82: Requires seat readjustment after each Census, governed by the Delimitation Act, 2002.
Historical Context: Key Amendments
- 42nd Amendment (1976)
- Froze seat allocation based on the 1971 Census until 2001.
- No rationale provided for the freeze.
- 84th Amendment (2002)
- Extended the freeze until 2026 to incentivize population stabilization through family planning programs.
- Reason cited: Promote population control in states with higher growth rates.
Demographic Disparities
- Regional Population Growth (2001–2026 Estimates)
- High-Growth States: The increase in the population of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand has been 55.33%, and 51.4% for Bihar and Jharkhand.
- Low-Growth States: The increase in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka has been 15.5%, 28% and 24.2% respectively.
- Consequences of Current Freeze
- Southern states face reduced political representation if delimitation resumes (due to slower population growth).
- Northeastern states already enjoy disproportionate representation (e.g. smaller populations but higher MP count).
Arguments Against Expanding Parliamentary Seats
- Functional Inefficacy
- Increasing Lok Sabha seats (e.g. to 700) would not improve legislative efficiency or lawmaking quality.
- Parliament’s dysfunction (e.g. frequent adjournments, poor debate quality) persists regardless of size.
- Economic and Administrative Costs
- Financial Burden: Higher infrastructural costs of housing, salaries, pensions etc. with no tangible benefits.
- Cabinet Expansion
- Article 75(1A) allows ministries to expand up to 15% of Lok Sabha strength (e.g. 100 ministers for 700 MPs).
- Larger cabinets lead to bloated bureaucracy, not better governance.
Way Forward
- Constitutional Reforms: Amend Articles 81 and 82
- Freeze Lok Sabha seats at 550 and state assembly seats at current levels.
- Abandon population proportionality as a criterion due to asymmetric demographic changes.
- Political Pragmatism
- Avoid unrest in southern states by retaining current seat allocations.
- Prioritize national unity over numerical expansion of legislatures.
Conclusion: Delimitation based on population is unworkable due to uneven demographic trends. A constitutional cap on parliamentary seats and abandoning population-based allocation are necessary to prevent regional discord.