Mains Marathon

Approach

• Start the answer by writing about the inauguration of the new parliament building and the need for the building.
• Discuss the need to reassess the parliamentary seat allocation in the country which could be raised after 2026 as per the past constitutional amendments.
• Conclude Suitably.

Answer

The inauguration of the new parliament building has a seating capacity of 888 for Lok Sabha and 384 for Rajya Sabha. It has a grand constitution hall, a library, a lounge for MPs, and several committee rooms and dining areas. It is also designed to be environment-friendly, and digitally equipped.

Significance of the New Parliamentary Building:

• The construction of the new parliament building has prompted discussions about the necessity to review India's current parliamentary seat allocation, which is determined based on the population data from 1971.
  • As per the Constitution (84th Amendment) Act, 2001, the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies cannot be altered until after the first census following 2026.
• The 2021 census which has been postponed because of the several reasons including Covid-19 pandemic, is expected to reveal the latest population trends and dynamics in India.
• The census data will have implications for the delimitation of constituencies, which is the process of redrawing the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly seats based on population.
• The delimitation of constituencies will also affect the representation of different regions and communities in the parliament. Currently, there is a wide gap between north and south India in terms of population growth, fertility rates, and development indicators.
• The southern states have lower population growth than the northern states. This means that they may lose some seats in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to the northern states. This may create a sense of regional imbalance and injustice among the southern states, who may feel that they are being penalized for their better performance in controlling population.

There are some challenges for increasing or decreasing the number of seats in parliament due to population imbalance between north and south India. Some of the positive points are:

• Increasing the number of seats may enhance the representation and diversity of different regions, cultures, languages, and communities in parliament.
• Increasing the number of seats may also reduce the size of constituencies and make them more manageable for MPs to serve their voters effectively.

Some of the challenges of increasing the seats of members of in Indian parliament are:

• It would require a constitutional amendment to lift the freeze on the number and distribution of seats in the Lok Sabha till 2026.
• It would entail a fresh delimitation exercise to redraw the boundaries of constituencies based on the latest census data.
• It would affect the representation of different states in the lower house, as some states have controlled their population growth better than others. This could create a political controversy among parties and regions.

Some possible ways forward to address this issue are:

• Adopting a formula that balances population size and human development for allocating seats among states.
• Introducing proportional representation or mixed electoral systems that ensure fair representation of different regions and communities.
• Promoting regional cooperation and development through inter-state councils, special grants, or federal policies.
• Encouraging dialogue and consultation among stakeholders to reach a consensus on this issue.
• Delay the delimitation till the 2031 census to reduce the population gap between north and south.