J&K DELIMITATION DRAFT

J&K DELIMITATION DRAFT

TOPIC: Polity 

Context- The J&K Delimitation Commission has come out with a fresh interim report proposing the redrawing of many Assembly and the lone Lok Sabha constituencies in Kashmir, besides the allocation of one more seat to the division and six more to Jammu.

Concept-

• The commission has proposed the redrawing of five of the eight Assembly segments in Srinagar.

What is Delimitation?

• Delimitation means the act or process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country to represent changes in population.

How delimitation is carried out?

• Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census.
• Under Article 170, States also get divided into territorial constituencies as per Delimitation Act after every Census.
• Once the Act is in force, the Union government sets up a Delimitation Commission.
• The first delimitation exercise was carried out by the President (with the help of the Election Commission) in 1950-51.
• The Delimitation Commission Act was enacted in 1952.
• Delimitation Commissions have been set up four times — 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002 under the Acts of 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002.
• There was no delimitation after the 1981 and 1991 Censuses.

Delimitation Commission:

• The Delimitation Commission is appointed by the President of India and works in collaboration with the Election Commission of India.
• Composition:
  • Retired Supreme Court judge
  • Chief Election Commissioner
  • Respective State Election Commissioners