Delimitation is the process of determining the number of seats and boundaries of constituencies in each Indian state for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, including reserved seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). It's guided by Articles 82 and 170 of the Constitution and carried out by a Delimitation Commission.
The ideal is 'one citizen-one vote-one value.' Seat allocation was based on the 1951, 1961, and 1971 Censuses, but it's been frozen since 1971 to encourage population control. The next readjustment is pending based on the first Census after 2026 (postponed from 2021). The 2001 Census determined constituency boundaries and reserved seats; this will be repeated after the next Census.
Uneven population growth across states creates challenges. Two options are considered: maintaining 543 seats with redistribution or increasing the number to 848. Both scenarios potentially disadvantage southern and smaller states compared to those with higher population growth, creating federalism concerns.
The U.S. caps House of Representatives seats at 435, redistributing them after each census using the 'method of equal proportion.' The EU Parliament uses 'degressive proportionality,' where the population-to-seat ratio increases with population size.
Balancing democratic and federal principles is key. The author suggests capping Lok Sabha seats at 543 to maintain federal structure and increasing state legislative assembly seats based on population to address representational needs. Empowering local bodies is also highlighted as crucial for strengthening democracy.