What is delimitation?
- Delimitation literally means the act or process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province having a legislative body. The job of delimitation is assigned to the Delimitation Commission or a Boundary Commission.
- The Delimitation Commission in India is a high-power body whose orders have the force of law and cannot be called in question before any court. These orders come into force on a date to be specified by the President of India on this behalf. The copies of its orders are laid before the House of the People and the State Legislative Assembly concerned, but no modifications are permissible therein by them.
Procedure for delimitation
- Under Article 82 of the Constitution, the Parliament by law enacts a Delimitation Act after every census. After coming into force of the Act, the Central Government constitutes a Delimitation Commission.
- The Constitution of India was specifically amended in 2002 not to have delimitation of constituencies till the first census after 2026. Thus, the present Constituencies carved out on the basis of 2001 census shall continue to be in operation till the first census after 2026.
- The Delimitation Commission is appointed by the President of India and works in collaboration with the Election Commission of India. Composition:
- Retired Supreme Court Judge
- Chief Election Commissioner
- Respective State Election Commissioners
- Allocation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Tribes in the Lok Sabha are made on the basis of the proportion of Scheduled Castes and Tribes in the State concerned to that of the total population, vide provision contained in Article 330 of the Constitution of India read with Section 3 of the R. P. Act, 1950.
