Question

The distribution of seats of the Parliament are based on which of the following census?
A.1951
B.1961
C.1971
D.1981

Answer 1

Hint: The Lok Sabha is the Lower House of the Parliament. Each member represents a constituency based on geography. The allocation of these geographical constituencies is required to be unalterable until 2026. The last census was carried out in 2011. The census represents the demography of Indian population. The composition of Lok Sabha is defined by Article eighty one of the Indian Constitution which mentions that not more than twenty seats can be represented by the union territories of India, out of total 550 seats of Lok Sabha; exception being small states whose population is not more than sixty lakh.

Complete answer:
The distribution of seats in the Parliament is based on the 1971 census. In 1976, during the Emergency, the 42nd amendment Act started that the population to be taken into consideration for the next 25 years would be the number in the 1971 Census. As per provisions in articles 55, 82, 170 and 330 of the Indian constitution, the decision of value of votes for the Presidential election, readjustment of seats in the Lok Sabha or a State assembly are to be done based on the population figures after each Census. This was decided on the basis of incentives of family planning and population control that the government was attempting. This was done in order to boost the norms of family planning.
The provision of allocation of seats is done in such a manner that we can conclude based on the 2016 mid-year population that the average MP(member of Parliament from Rajasthan represents over 30 lakh people while the one in Tamil Nadu represents less than 18 lakhs.
In 2001, the National Democratic Alliance at the center felt the need for the 42nd amendment. It decided as per the National Population Policy strategy to extend the freeze on readjustment up to the year 2026. This was to let states pursue stabilization.
The census of 1971 was a crucial factor in determination of policies.

Hence, the correct answer is option (C).

Note:Any readjustments in the seats of the Parliament can only be done after 2026. The 84 amendment allowed delimitation after the 2001 Census only. This is crucial to ensure the stability in the number of Lok Sabha seats and avoid continuous fluctuations. It is suggested that reforms are the need of the hour, as the number of Lok Sabha seats should be rationalized on the basis of the population they represent. Despite the changes such as statehood getting attained by Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram (1986), the creation of a Legislative Assembly for the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the creation of new states such as Uttarakhand, the number of seats have not been changed or initiated for the process of revision.