The Delimitation Commission, which redraws Parliamentary/Assembly constituency boundaries, is appointed by the Election Commission in consultation with which constitutional authority?
- President of India
- Chief Justice of India
- Prime Minister
- Speaker of Lok Sabha
Answer: Chief Justice of India
Delimitation Commission appointment: (a) Delimitation Commission Act, 2002: Provides for constitution of Delimitation Commission to redraw Parliamentary/Assembly constituency boundaries based on latest census, (b) Appointment process: Commission appointed by Election Commission in consultation with Chief Justice of India, (c) Composition: (i) Retired Supreme Court Judge (Chairperson), (ii) Chief Election Commissioner or Election Commissioner (ex-officio), (iii) State Election Commissioners of concerned States (ex-officio), (d) Functions: (i) Delimit constituencies: Redraw boundaries based on population, geographical features, administrative units, (ii) Reserve seats: Identify constituencies for reservation for SC/ST based on population proportion, (iii) Publish orders: Delimitation orders have force of law; cannot be challenged in courts, (e) Applications: (i) 2002 Delimitation: Based on 1991 census; froze seat allocation to States based on 1971 census to encourage population control, (ii) Future delimitation: Next delimitation expected post-2026 census; will redraw boundaries based on 2021/2026 census data, (f) Illustrates institutional coordination: ECI, CJI collaborate on Delimitation Commission to ensure impartial, expert-driven constituency delimitation; judicial consultation enhances credibility, neutrality of process.