‘Regional imbalance’ bothers Congress as government plans delimitation to roll out women’s reservation
Congress leaders say if the strength of the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies is increased uniformly by 50%, States with larger populations would gain more seats, widening the existing representation gap
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Context
The Union government is reportedly considering a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census to implement the (Constitution 106th Amendment Act, 2023) before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. This has sparked debate over potential regional imbalances in parliamentary representation, as states with higher population growth, primarily in the north, would gain more seats than southern states. The Congress party has voiced these concerns and also reiterated its demand for a sub-quota for OBC women and a caste census.
UPSC Perspectives
Polity & Federalism
This issue centers on the constitutional process of delimitation and its impact on the principle of federalism. Delimitation is the act of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies. Under of the Constitution, this exercise is to be undertaken after every census to ensure each constituency represents a roughly equal population, upholding the 'one person, one vote, one value' principle. However, to encourage population control, the froze the total number of Lok Sabha seats for each state based on the 1971 census, with this freeze lasting until the first census after 2026. The current proposal to use the 2011 census for a fresh delimitation that increases the total number of seats raises a core federal question: should states that successfully controlled their population be 'penalized' with proportionately less political power? Southern states fear this will lead to fiscal and political marginalization, as representation and financial allocation (guided by Finance Commissions) are linked to population. For UPSC, this is a classic case study on the tension between democratic representation based on population and the federal principle of equity among states.
Governance & Representation
The proposed move seeks to expedite the implementation of the , which reserves one-third of seats for women in legislatures. While this is a significant step for gender-based affirmative action, the mechanics of its implementation are complex. The Act's own provisions link its rollout to a census and subsequent delimitation. By suggesting an increase in the total Lok Sabha strength from 543 to around 816, the government aims to provide women's reservation without forcing male incumbents to vacate their seats, a common political hurdle. This, however, brings the North-South population disparity into sharp focus. The concern is that a uniform percentage increase in seats will disproportionately benefit more populous states, altering the balance of power within the Parliament. For the exam, this highlights the governance challenges in implementing large-scale electoral reforms and balancing competing representational claims—gender, region, and caste.
Social Justice
The debate also encompasses the demand for social justice within the women's reservation framework. The provides for sub-reservation for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) women within the 33% quota, as their seats are already reserved. However, the long-standing demand for a similar quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC) women is not included. The Congress and other parties argue that without an OBC sub-quota, the reservation might primarily benefit women from more privileged social backgrounds. This demand is intrinsically linked to the call for a nationwide Caste Census to gather updated data on the population of various caste groups. The government's reported plan to use the 2011 Census, which lacks comprehensive caste data, is seen by critics as a way to sidestep this politically sensitive issue. This creates a triangular conflict between gender representation, regional balance, and caste-based equity, a crucial theme for GS Paper 1 (Indian Society) and GS Paper 2 (Social Justice).