Delimitation and Federal Equity -

Context and Core Issue

Southern States reduced population growth through health and education investments, but now face political and fiscal disadvantages.
The Finance Commission assigns 50% weight to population, lowering southern States’ tax devolution shares.
Delimitation before 2029 elections may widen the absolute seat gap against the southern States.
Most post-1991 population growth occurred in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh.

Constitutional and Political Background

The 84th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2001 froze Lok Sabha seats till the first Census after 2026.
The Census was delayed from 2021, with results expected by October 2028.
A Delimitation Commission will be constituted before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
The freeze was intended as a “motivational measure” to reward population stabilisation.

Proposed Solutions

First option: Increase Lok Sabha seats using 2011 Census, keeping existing proportions, raising total seats to about 866.
Second option: Increase Lok Sabha seats and give equal Rajya Sabha representation, for example 10 seats per State, totalling 290.
Third option: Increase Vidhan Sabha seats to equalise representatives per 1,000 population, keeping Lok Sabha unchanged.
Fourth option: Allocate 60% Lok Sabha seats by population and 40% by population-control performance, using a sliding scale.

Digressive Proportionality Principle

The fourth option reflects EU Parliament’s Digressive Proportionality system.
Larger States get more seats but fewer per person, while smaller States get fewer seats but higher weight.
It balances population proportionality with State equality, avoiding domination by populous regions.

Finance Commission Parallel

The Finance Commission uses multiple criteria to ensure fairness.
These include income distance, population size, demographic performance, and tax effort.
Demographic performance rewards States that reduced fertility rates.
If the FC rewards population control, the Delimitation Commission can apply a similar logic.

Way Forward

Southern States should unite around Digressive Proportionality before the Delimitation Commission is constituted.
This approach protects federal balance, representation fairness, and incentives for population stabilisation.

Delimitation and Federal Equity