Why in News ?
UNION government has moved a proposal to amend the Representation of the People (RP) Act 1950 to give legality to its March 6 order setting up a Delimitation Commission for Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam and Nagaland. Amend law for delimit NE states.
What is the proposal ?
- The Law Ministry had notified the Delimitation Commission for the four northeast states and Jammu and Kashmir on March 6.
- For the purpose a panel with Former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai is its chairperson, and Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra is the EC’s representative on the panel.
Why delimitation required Amendment of RP Act ?
| Representation of the People Acts, 1950 | |
| Section 8A | Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur or Nagaland |
| If the President is satisfied that the situation and the conditions prevailing in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur or Nagaland are conducive for the conduct of delimitation exercise, he may, by order, rescind the deferment order issued under the provisions of section 10A of the Delimitation Act, 2002 (33 of 2002) in relation to that State, and provide for the conduct of delimitation exercise in the State by the Election Commission. | |
Concern over the delimitation
- The last delimitation exercise, that started in 2002 and ended in 2008, had kept out Arunachal, Assam, Manipur and Nagal and as the use of the 2001 Census for it had been challenged by several organisations before the Gauhati High Court, on the ground that it was riddled with defects.
- From Assam a delegation met then Home Minister Shivraj Patil pleading that delimitation be called off because the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was yet to be updated.
- The Delimitation Act of 2002 was amended on January 14, 2008,to empower the President to postpone the exercise in these states.
- But in February government planned to resume the process by cancelling the order of February 8, 2008.
Impact of delimitation
- There is a freeze until 2026 on the number of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in any state.
- No increase or decrease of number of seats.
- Delimitation will only redraw the boundaries of seats in each state.
- It can rework the number of reserved seats for SCs and STs.
Source : Indian Express
Topic
GS III : Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act
Current Affairs Compilation : 27 August 2020