Population-based delimitation may weaken the political power of richer states.

• India’s governance challenges stem from regional wealth and population disparities, leading to debates on delimitation and tax devolution.
 • The original constitutional scheme for Lok Sabha seats redrawn after every Census, accounting for population variations, was postponed due to slow population stabilization in some regions.
 • The assumption was that by then, development trajectory of a majority of regions would converge, but this did not happen from 1976 to 2001 or after 2001.
 • The 2021 Census has not been conducted, leaving us uncertain about regional demographic trends.
 • Population size, composition, and quality are linked to wealth creation and sharing.
 • The relative per capita income level, the ratio of a State’s per capita Net State Domestic Product to the all-India per capita Net National Product, is used to measure economic performance.
 • By 2024, the income gap between economically advanced and lagging States had widened further, with exceptions like West Bengal and Punjab.
 • If delimitation were to happen according to the current population, States with better economic performance could face a slide in their political power to States with a lower economic performance.
 • Addressing regional disparities must be a national priority.