Will India Need A New Parliament Building – Free PDF Download

WHY NEED FOR A NEW PARLIAMENT BUILDING?

• First, the building has become quite old and poses risk to the parliamentarians.
• Second, the freeze on parliamentary seats and seat allocations to States may be lifted in 2026.
• This may lead to increase in the number of MPs in Lok Sabha.

CONSTITUTION PROVISION RELATED TO STRENGTH OF LOK SABHA

• According to Article 81 of the Constitution — as it stood before the Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976-
• Lok Sabha was to comprise of not more than 550 members. (530 for states, 20 for UTs and 2 for Anglo Indians)
• Clause (2) of Article 81 provided that for the purposes of sub-clause (a) of clause (1), there shall be allotted to each State a number of seats in the House of the People in such manner that the ratio between that number and the population of the State is, so far as practicable, the same for all States.
• Clause (3) defined the expression “population” for the purposes of Article 81 to mean the population as ascertained at the last preceding Census.

SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

• States which took a lead in population control faced the prospect of their number of seats getting reduced.
• Whereas states which had higher population figures stood to gain by increase in the number of seats in Lok Sabha.

SOLUTION?

•  The Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976 effected a freeze on the population figure with reference to the 1971 Census till 2001.
•  1971 population- 54.81 cr. Registered electorate– 27.4 cr.
• The Constitution (84th Amendment), Act 2001 extended the deadline from 2000 to 2026.

HOW MANY DELIMITATION COMMISSIONS HAVE BEEN SET UP?

• The first delimitation exercise in 1950-51 was carried out by the President (with the help of the Election Commission), as the Constitution at that time was silent on who should undertake the division of states into Lok Sabha seats.
• It was temporary in nature.
• Hence, another delimitation was due after the 1951 Census.
• EC advised the government that all future exercises should be carried out by an independent commission.
• Hence, the Delimitation Commission Act was enacted in 1952.
• After that Delimitation Commissions have been set up four times — 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002 through different acts.

 PRESENT SCENARIO

• As a result of the freezing of the allocation of seats, the allocation done on the basis of the 1971 Census continues hold good for the present population figures
• . According to the 2011 Census, the population of our country stands at 121 cr. with a registered electorate of 83.41 cr.

SO WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT OUR DEMOCRACY?

• Basing the 1971 Census figure of 54.81 cr. to represent today’s population presents a distorted version of our democratic polity.
• It is also contrary to what is mandated under Article 81 of the Constitution.
• So when the first Census figure will be available after 2026 — that is, in 2031 — a fresh delimitation will have to done which will dramatically alter the present arrangement of seat allocation to the States in Parliament.
•  If the decision to increase the number of seats are taken, then we will need a new parliament building.

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