Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census.
Mandates the readjustment of seats in the House of the People and division of states into territorial constituencies upon each census.
Under Article 170, States also get divided into territorial constituencies as per Delimitation Act after every Census.
Parliament determines the authority and manner for delimitation by law.
Delimitation Commissions in India:
Delimitation Commissions have been constituted four times: in 1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002, each time under a corresponding Delimitation Commission Act enacted in or around that year.
1952: Delimitation Commission Act, 1952
1963: Delimitation Commission Act, 1962
1973: Delimitation Act, 1972
2002: Delimitation Act, 2002
First Delimitation Exercise:
Conducted by the President with assistance from the Election Commission in 1950-51.
Composition and Appointment:
High-Powered Committee: Entrusted with drawing and redrawing constituency boundaries for state assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Appointment: Made by the President of India, working in collaboration with the Election Commission.
Members:
A retired or serving Supreme Court Judge (Chairperson)
Election Commissioner
Concerned State Election Commissioners
Key Amendments:
84th Amendment Act, 2001: Empowered the government to readjust and rationalize territorial constituencies based on 1991 census figures.
87th Amendment Act, 2003: Provided for delimitation based on the 2001 census instead of the 1991 census.
Maintained that the number of seats allotted to each state in the Lok Sabha would remain unchanged.
Legal Standing:
Orders of the Delimitation Commission have the force of law and cannot be challenged in any court.
Implementation:
When presented before the Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assemblies, no modifications to the Commission’s orders are allowed.
