UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Stalin burns copy of the Delimitation Bill as T.N. protests
Q1. Which one of the following was the FIRST Delimitation Commission Act enacted in independent India to give effect to the readjustment mandated under Article 82?
- A. The Delimitation Commission Act, 1952
- B. The Delimitation Commission Act, 1962
- C. The Delimitation Act, 1972
- D. The Delimitation Act, 2002
Q2. With reference to the constitutional scheme of delimitation, consider the following pairings of a constitutional article with its function:
1. Article 82 — readjustment of the allocation of Lok Sabha seats to States after each census
2. Article 170 — readjustment of the number of seats in State Legislative Assemblies after each census
3. Article 329(a) — bar on questioning delimitation orders in any court
4. Article 324 — allocation of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified?
- Article 82 — readjustment of the allocation of Lok Sabha seats to States after each census
- Article 170 — readjustment of the number of seats in State Legislative Assemblies after each census
- Article 329(a) — bar on questioning delimitation orders in any court
- Article 324 — allocation of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 4 only
- C. 3 and 4 only
- D. 2 only
Q3. The freeze on the total number of Lok Sabha seats allocated to States on the basis of the 1971 Census was extended up to the first census taken after 2026 by which one of the following Constitutional Amendment Acts?
- A. The 42nd Amendment Act, 1976
- B. The 84th Amendment Act, 2001
- C. The 87th Amendment Act, 2003
- D. The 91st Amendment Act, 2003
Q4. By approximately how many additional years did the 84th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2001 extend the freeze on the total number of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies?
- A. 10 years
- B. 15 years
- C. 25 years
- D. 40 years
Q5. The Delimitation Commission in India is constituted by the Central Government. Which one of the following is the nodal Union Ministry for constituting the Commission and for piloting the Delimitation Bills, 2026?
- A. Ministry of Home Affairs
- B. Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
- C. Ministry of Law and Justice
- D. Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Q6. Who is designated to be the Chairperson (the head) of the Delimitation Commission as constituted under the Delimitation Bill, 2026?
- A. A person who is or has been a Judge of the Supreme Court
- B. The Chief Justice of India, in every case
- C. The Chief Election Commissioner, always
- D. A retired Judge of a High Court nominated by the Governor
Q7. In the context of the Delimitation Bill, 2026, the term 'delimitation' most precisely refers to which one of the following?
- A. The process of fixing the number of seats and redrawing the boundaries of territorial constituencies on the basis of the latest census
- B. The reservation of a fixed proportion of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in legislatures
- C. The demarcation of inter-State administrative boundaries by a boundary commission
- D. The delegation of the power to conduct elections from the Union to the States
Q8. The Delimitation Bill, 2026 proposes that the next delimitation be carried out on the basis of which census — described as the latest census for which figures have been published?
- A. The 2001 Census
- B. The 2011 Census
- C. The 1971 Census
- D. The 2027 Census
Q9. Under the 2026 delimitation framework, the one-third reservation for women (linked to the seat readjustment) requires specific constituencies to be earmarked. Which body is empowered to determine the constituencies reserved for women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes?
- A. The Election Commission of India
- B. The Delimitation Commission
- C. The Ministry of Women and Child Development
- D. NITI Aayog
Q10. Comparing India's past delimitation exercises, consider the following statements:
1. The first delimitation after independence (1952) fixed the strength of the Lok Sabha on the basis of the 1951 Census.
2. The 2002 delimitation exercise redrew constituency boundaries but did NOT change the number of Lok Sabha seats allotted to each State.
3. India carried out a delimitation exercise after every decennial census from 1951 to 2011.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The first delimitation after independence (1952) fixed the strength of the Lok Sabha on the basis of the 1951 Census.
- The 2002 delimitation exercise redrew constituency boundaries but did NOT change the number of Lok Sabha seats allotted to each State.
- India carried out a delimitation exercise after every decennial census from 1951 to 2011.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q11. With reference to legislative apportionment in the United States compared with India's delimitation, consider the following statements:
1. The total membership of the U.S. House of Representatives has been fixed at 435 since the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929.
2. U.S. House seats are reapportioned among the states after each decennial census, with every state guaranteed at least one representative.
3. Like India's present arrangement, the United States has frozen its apportionment on the basis of a single past census for over five decades.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The total membership of the U.S. House of Representatives has been fixed at 435 since the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929.
- U.S. House seats are reapportioned among the states after each decennial census, with every state guaranteed at least one representative.
- Like India's present arrangement, the United States has frozen its apportionment on the basis of a single past census for over five decades.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q12. In April 2026, which one of the following leaders led the anti-delimitation protest by publicly burning a copy of the Delimitation Bill and terming it a 'black law'?
- A. Pinarayi Vijayan
- B. A. Revanth Reddy
- C. M.K. Stalin
- D. Siddaramaiah