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Polity & Governance GS 2 In the news 41 times

Delimitation Commission

Composition and Powers

The Delimitation Commission is constituted under the Delimitation Act (most recently the Delimitation Act, 2002) by the central government. It is chaired by a retired Supreme Court judge and includes the Chief Election Commissioner and state election commissioners as ex-officio members. The Commission's orders have the force of law and cannot be challenged in any court (Article 329(a)), making its composition and methodology of profound political significance.

Key details
  • Composition: Retired SC judge (chairperson) + CEC (ex-officio) + State Election Commissioner(s) (ex-officio)
  • Orders published in the Gazette have the force of law — Article 329(a) bars judicial review
  • Past commissions: 1952 (J. Patanjali Shastri), 1963 (J. Meher Chand Mahajan), 1973 (J. J.L. Kapur), 2002 (J. Kuldip Singh)
  • The 2002 Delimitation Commission redrew constituency boundaries (intra-state) but did NOT reallocate seats between states (the freeze prevented this)
  • The proposed 2026 exercise will be the first to reallocate seats between states since 1976
In the news

Tracked since March 23, 2026 · last seen August 21, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes

Plus 11 earlier mentions since March 23, 2026.

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