De-limitation Commission

WHY IN NEWS?

The Lok Sabha Speaker has nominated 15 MPs from Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh as ‘associate members’ of the Delimitation Commission to assist the panel in redrawing parliamentary and assembly constituencies of the North-Eastern states and the union territory.

ABOUT DE-LIMITATION COMMISSION

• Delimitation literally means the process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a state that has a legislative body.
• Delimitation Commission or Boundary Commission carries out the process of de-limitation.
• These bodies are so powerful that its orders have the force of law and they cannot be challenged before any court.
• Such commissions have been constituted at least four times in India — in 1952 under the Delimitation Commission Act, 1952, in 1963 under Delimitation Commission Act, 1962, in 1973 under Delimitation Act, 1972 and last in 2002 under Delimitation Act, 2002.
• According to the Delimitation Commission Act, 2002, the Delimitation Commission appointed by the Centre has to have three members: a serving or retired judge of the Supreme Court as the chairperson, and the Chief Election Commissioner or Election Commissioner nominated by the CEC and the State Election Commissioner as ex-officio members.