Delimitation is the act and process of redrawing Lok Sabha and state Assembly constituencies as per the latest population data. The Election Commission of India defines delimitation as the process of drawing boundaries of constituencies for elected bodies based on the population in the most recent Census. The job of delimitation is assigned to a high-power body known as the Delimitation Commission or a Boundary Commission. The delimitation exercise cannot be initiated until after 2026, and even after that, it needs to be done swiftly, in order for it to be implemented for the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
The process of delimitation is done after every Census is completed, and the allocation of Lok Sabha seats to each state must be adjusted based on population changes. The number of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are also determined on a state-by-state basis as per the share of these communities’ populations in each state. The last delimitation exercise was carried out in 2002.
The implementation of the Womens Reservation Bill is contingent on delimitation. Clause 334A of the Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam Bill says that the reservation will come into effect after the first census that is conducted after the constitution amendment is passed and then the delimitation exercise that would follow.
Delimitation has been opposed by political parties in the South of India, who argue that a population-based delimitation will give an unfair advantage to the northern states whose population growth rates have been higher than theirs.
