Answer

The Delimitation Exercise in India, overseen by the Delimitation commission appointed by the President in consultation with the Election Commission, aims to realign Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly seats based on population changes, ensuring representative governance. However, this process raises concerns about potential disadvantages for some, affecting the Federal structure of the nation.

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Threats to India’s Federal Structure from Proposed Delimitation

• Reduced Representation for Southern States: Southern states with controlled population growth risk diminished influence in Union decisions due to reduced representation.
  For example: Tamil Nadu’s representation could decrease, impacting its voice in national issues despite high GDP contributions.
• Disparity in Political Power: Delimitation could skew power towards high-growth states, giving northern states with high Total Fertility Rates (TFR) greater control in federal matters.
  For example: Bihar and UP may gain additional seats, increasing influence over central policies affecting all states.
• Fiscal Imbalance: Increasing representation for high-population states could lead to a reallocation of resources favouring those regions, impacting equitable development.
  For example: Additional seats for Uttar Pradesh could secure more central funding, while states with lower representation like Kerala might receive fewer resources.
• Skewed Development: Greater representation and resource access for populous states could lead to uneven development, isolating less represented regions.
  For example: The northeastern states have historically experienced marginalisation in development due to lower representation, a situation that could worsen with the new delimitation.
• Rise of Regional Tensions: Smaller states feeling marginalised due to reduced seats and resources might foster secessionist sentiments, risking national unity.
  For example: The risk of smaller states like Sikkim feeling alienated could intensify if they perceive their concerns are inadequately represented, threatening the sovereignty and integrity of the federation.
• Language and Cultural Imbalance: Increased representation in Hindi-speaking states might marginalise non-Hindi regions, sparking concerns about cultural equity.
  For example: Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh could experience reduced influence, increasing demands to safeguard cultural identity.
• Centralization of Power: Higher representation for populous states could centralise power in select regions, reducing state autonomy and weakening cooperative federalism.
  For example: Southern states might perceive central policies as overly influenced by northern interests.

Threats to India’s Fiscal Equity from Proposed Delimitation

• Uneven Fiscal Transfers: States with low population growth but high tax contributions could see reduced representation, risking fiscal disparities.
  For example: Maharashtra might face fewer central funds if seat allocation favours less productive regions.
• Imbalance in Resource Distribution: More representation for high-TFR states may lead to uneven resource allocation, affecting developed states’ access to central funds.
  For example: UP may receive more central funds, while contributing states like Karnataka could face constraints.
• Impact on National Revenue Generation: Reduced representation for economically advanced states might deprioritize revenue-focused policies, affecting fiscal stability.
  For example: Tamil Nadu’s input on industrial policy may decrease, impacting national revenue initiatives.
• Impacts on Centrally Sponsored Schemes: Redistribution favouring high-TFR states could lead to an increase in centrally sponsored scheme allocations for those states, potentially at the expense of states with lower TFR.
  For example: High-population states like Bihar might receive more scheme funding, while states with controlled populations and significant contributions like Tamil Nadu could see reduced program funding.
• Reduction in Incentives for Population Control: States might lose incentives to control population growth.
  For example: Effective family planning states like Kerala may find fewer fiscal benefits, possibly discouraging other states from similar efforts.
• Rise in Regional Income Disparities: The imbalance could lead to greater income disparity between regions, possibly triggering migration flows from economically constrained areas to more developed states.

Potential Solutions to Balance Representation with Regional Aspirations

• Cap on Lok Sabha Seats Per State: Limiting seats per state can ensure balanced representation and prevent disproportionate influence by populous states.
  For example: The United States House of Representatives caps seats at 435(since 1913), redistributing among states without expanding the total number, ensuring balanced state representation.
• Increase Seats Without Redistribution: Adding seats proportionately allows democratic expansion without penalising population-controlled states.
  For example: The German Bundestag uses a mixed-member approach, adding seats as needed to maintain proportionality without causing disadvantage to particular regions.
• Strengthening State Representation in Rajya Sabha: Increasing Rajya Sabha’s role enhances regional interests, as it represents states rather than populations.
  For example: Increasing Rajya Sabha influence can mirror the EU’s degressive proportionality, where smaller member states retain significant representation despite lower populations.
• Extra Funds for Population-Control States: Providing additional grants rewards population-control efforts, ensuring fiscal fairness in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
  For example: Kerala and Tamil Nadu could receive targeted development funds despite lower representation.
• Extend the Freeze on Delimitation: Another freeze on delimitation allows stability and policy adaptation without sudden shifts in representation.
  For example: Extending the freeze would allow gradual adjustment to population changes, maintaining federal harmony.
• Promotion of Cultural Diversity: Addressing regional aspirations includes recognizing cultural distinctiveness by promoting policies that respect regional languages, traditions, and practices within the federal framework.
  For example: Special legislative measures or development grants can support cultural preservation in states with strong regional identities, similar to cultural policies in the EU promoting member-state diversity.
• Strengthening Institutions like the Inter-State Council: Empowering platforms such as the Inter-State Council fosters collaboration on regional issues, easing regional tensions and addressing grievances through cooperative federalism.

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The delimitation exercise brings significant challenges to India’s federal structure and fiscal equity, prompting a need for solutions that balance representation and regional aspirations. By exploring strategies such as extending the freeze on the basis of the 1971 census, expanding Rajya Sabha’s role, India can safeguard democratic representation and federal harmony, preserving the unity and diversity foundational to its federal system.

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