"Why Increasing Lok Sabha Seats Needs Parliamentary Reform Too"
Delimitation
the process of redrawing constituency boundaries and seat numbers to equalise population per seat
Question Hour
the first hour of a sitting when MPs ask oral/written questions to ministers
India's Parliament size is not fixed permanently. Articles 81 and 170 of the Constitution allow changes to parliamentary and assembly seats. Articles 330 and 332 allow changes to seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. This change is called delimitation. It means redrawing constituency boundaries and seat numbers. The goal is to make each constituency have a similar population, as far as possible. An independent Delimitation Commission does this work. The President appoints it. It works with the Election Commission of India. So far, four Delimitation Commissions have been constituted, in 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002. These commissions have a special feature: finality. The Delimitation Commission's orders cannot be challenged in any court of law. Once laid before the Lok Sabha or a State Assembly, they cannot be changed by that House either. This protection was designed to keep delimitation technical and free from political interference.
The last full delimitation was based on the 2001 census. It was frozen until the first census after 2026. This was done to avoid penalising states that controlled population growth. The current debate arises because this freeze is now ending. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill and the Delimitation Bill, 2026 jointly propose raising Lok Sabha strength from 550 to 850 members. This is framed as correcting growing disparities in voter-to-MP ratios. One constituency can have far more voters than another.
Parliamentary representation works on two levels. First, a voter's access to an elected MP. Second, that MP's actual ability to raise issues on the floor of the House. The second depends on fixed procedural limits. These limits do not expand just because the House grows larger. In Question Hour, Lok Sabha rules allow a maximum of 20 starred questions for oral answers and 230 unstarred questions for written answers per sitting day. This is true regardless of how many MPs want to ask something. Zero Hour lets an MP raise an urgent matter without advance notice. …
How many Delimitation Commissions have been constituted by the Government of India till December 2023?
With reference to the Delimitation Commission, consider the following statements:
1.The orders of the Delimitation Commission cannot be challenged in a Court of Law.
2.When the orders of the Delimitation Commission are laid before the Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assembly, they cannot effect any modifications in the orders.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Individual Parliamentarian's role as the national law maker is on a decline, which in turn, has adversely impacted the quality of debates and their outcome. Discuss.
'The growth of cabinet system has practically resulted in the marginalisation of the parliamentary supremacy.' Elucidate.
With reference to Article 85(1) of the Constitution, which of the following statements is correct?
Consider the following statements regarding Question Hour in the Lok Sabha:
1.A maximum of 20 starred questions can be listed for oral answers on a sitting day.
2.A maximum of 230 unstarred questions can be listed for written answers on a sitting day.
3.Each MP can submit only one question per day.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Match the following parliamentary/delimitation facts with their correct figures:
(A) Maximum strength of a parliamentary standing committee
(B) Number of Delimitation Commissions constituted so far
(C) Proposed total strength of Lok Sabha under the 2026 Bills
(D) Maximum unstarred questions allowed per sitting day
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, jointly propose to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from how many members to how many?
The recommendation that the Lok Sabha should meet for a minimum of 120 days a year was made by which of the following?
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