Resolution to freeze LS seats at 543 gets T.N. Assembly nod, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to freeze the number of Lok Sabha seats at the existing 543.
• The resolution also called for maintaining the current inter-State distribution of seats and the Lok Sabha-Rajya Sabha ratio of 2.2:1.
• It advocated for implementing 33% reservation for women in the 2029 Lok Sabha and subsequent Assembly elections based on the existing 543 seats.
• Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay emphasized women's reservation as a matter of social justice and a constitutional right.
• The DMK and other supporting parties backed the resolution, while the AIADMK, PMK, DMDK, and BJP opposed it, though some opposing parties supported women's reservation.

Detailed Insights:

• The resolution aims to prevent a potential reduction in political representation for states like Tamil Nadu after the next delimitation exercise.
• The 84th Amendment Act, 2001, froze the number of Lok Sabha seats at 543 until the first census conducted after 2026.
• The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, passed in 2023, mandates 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
• Implementation of women's reservation is currently contingent upon the completion of the next census and subsequent delimitation.
• The resolution seeks to delink the implementation of women's reservation from the delimitation process to ensure its timely introduction.
• Maintaining the current inter-State distribution of seats addresses concerns of southern states regarding their political representation due to successful population control measures.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Lok Sabha: The lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, directly elected by the people.
• Rajya Sabha: The upper house of India's bicameral Parliament, representing the states.
• Delimitation: The process of redrawing electoral constituency boundaries to ensure equal population representation.
• Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam: A constitutional amendment providing 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.