DELIMITATION COMMISSION (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Polity)

Context: The Election Commission published its final report on the delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Assam, keeping their total numbers unchanged at 126 and 14 respectively. 

• In its final order, the poll panel has revised the nomenclature of one parliamentary and 19 assembly constituencies.

Delimitation Commission

• About: The Delimitation Commission is a high-level body set up by an act of the Parliament.

• Delimitation is the process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country to represent changes in population.

• Constitutional Provisions: The delimitation commission is an independent body constituted under Article 82 after the Parliament enacted a Delimitation Act after every census.

• Under Article 170, States also get divided into territorial constituencies as per Delimitation Act after every Census.

• Appointment: The Delimitation Commission is appointed by the President of India and works in collaboration with the Election Commission of India. 

• Composition:

• A retired judge of the Supreme Court
• The Chief Election Commissioner
• State Election Commissioners (of the respective states)

• Decision: If the members of the Commission have differing opinions, then the decision of the majority will be taken into consideration.

• Duties: It shall be the duty of the Commission to readjust the representation of the several territorial constituencies in the House of the People and of the several territorial constituencies in the Legislative Assembly of each state on the basis of the latest census figures of population.

Key Facts

• The first delimitation exercise was carried out by the President (with the help of the Election Commission) in 1950-51.
• The Delimitation Commission Act was enacted in 1952.
• Delimitation Commissions had been set up four times - 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002 under the Acts of 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002.
• There was no delimitation after the 1981 and 1991 Censuses.