UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 18 March 2025

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South vs North: The battle over redrawing India's electoral map

Why in News:

The 2026 delimitation debate in India raises concerns over political representation, regional disparities, and federal balance, with southern states fearing seat loss due to lower population growth while northern states push for proportional reallocation.

Introduction

The upcoming delimitation exercise in 2026 has sparked a political debate in India, particularly in southern states, over concerns about a shift in political representation. Leaders in Tamil Nadu and other states argue that redrawing parliamentary seats based on updated population data may reduce their influence despite their contributions to national development. This issue underscores broader challenges in India’s federal structure, representation principles, and fiscal distribution.

Understanding Delimitation in India

Delimitation is the process of redrawing parliamentary and assembly constituencies to reflect demographic changes.
The Indian Constitution mandates seat allocation based on population to ensure equitable representation.
Delimitation occurred in 1951, 1961, and 1971, but was frozen thereafter due to disparities in fertility rates across states.
The next delimitation is scheduled for 2026, but the absence of a recent census (last conducted in 2011) adds uncertainty.

Concerns of Southern States

Potential Loss of Parliamentary Seats:
- Southern states (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana) have lower fertility rates and population growth than northern states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
- If seats are redistributed, southern states could lose representation despite economic contributions.
Fiscal Imbalance & Equity Concerns:
- Southern states generate higher tax revenue but receive less federal allocation compared to populous northern states.
- Redistribution based on population may further reduce their influence over financial decisions.
Representation Disparity:
- An MP from Uttar Pradesh represents ~3 million people, while an MP from Kerala represents ~1.75 million.
- This creates unequal political influence, violating the principle of “one person, one vote.”

Challenges with Delimitation

Severe Malapportionment:
- Tamil Nadu and Kerala currently have more seats than their population proportion, while UP and Bihar have fewer seats than their share.
- By 2031, the imbalance could worsen, intensifying the north-south political divide.
Constitutional & Political Deadlock:
- Any change in seat allocation would require a constitutional amendment and broad political consensus.
- Southern leaders seek to freeze electoral boundaries for another 30 years, while northern states push for a reallocation based on population growth.
Federal Tensions & Regionalism:
- The debate has triggered north vs. south polarization, threatening India’s federal unity.
- Tamil Nadu’s leadership has framed delimitation as a punishment for economic success and population control.

Possible Solutions

Increasing Lok Sabha Seats:
- Expanding the number of MPs to 1,872 (from 543) would maintain proportionality without reducing any state’s representation.
- A more feasible increase to 848 seats could prevent loss of existing seats while balancing population representation.
Reforming the Rajya Sabha:
- Fixing equal representation for states in the upper house (similar to the US Senate) could counterbalance population-based reallocation in the Lok Sabha.
Decentralized Fiscal Model:
- Empowering states to retain a larger share of their revenue would reduce dependence on central allocations.
Splitting Large States:
- Dividing states like Uttar Pradesh into smaller units may help balance representation and governance efficiency.

Conclusion

The 2026 delimitation debate highlights the complexities of balancing democratic representation, economic contributions, and federal unity. While increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats appears to be the most politically viable option, deeper fiscal and governance reforms are needed to address regional disparities. Any resolution will require strong bipartisan consensus to preserve India’s democratic and federal structure.