Delimitation Commission
Topic: Elections and the Electoral System · NCERT: Class 9, Ch 7 "Elections"; Class 11, Ch 3 "Election and Representation"
Meaning
A Delimitation Commission is an independent body set up under a Delimitation Act. It redraws constituency boundaries so that each seat has roughly the same population. It also decides which seats are reserved for SCs and STs. Under the 2002 Act, it has three members: a retired Supreme Court judge, the Chief Election Commissioner or an Election Commissioner, and the state election commissioner. Its orders have the force of law. Article 329(a) protects them from challenge in court (Meghraj Kothari, 1967).
Example
India has had four Delimitation Commissions, under the Acts of 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002. The fourth, headed by Justice Kuldip Singh, redrew boundaries using the 2001 census, and its orders came into force in 2008. Because of the freeze on delimitation, it did not change the number of seats each state has.
Don't confuse with
- Election Commission of India: a permanent body under Article 324 that runs elections. A Delimitation Commission is set up only from time to time, for the single job of redrawing seats.