Delimitation Commission and India’s Language

Delimitation Commission and India’s Language

Delimitation Commission of India

Introduction

• Delimitation Commission or Boundary Commission of India is a Commission established by the Government of India under the provisions of the Delimitation Commission Act.

• The main task of the Commission is to redraw the boundaries of the various assembly and Lok Sabha Constituencies based on the recent census. [Article 82]

• The representation from each state is not changed during this exercise. However, the number of SC and ST seats in a state is changed in accordance with the census.

• The Commission in India is a high-power body whose orders have the force of law and cannot be called in question before any court.

These orders come into force on a date to be specified by the President of India in this behalf. The copies of its orders are laid before the House of the People and the State Legislative Assembly concerned, but no modifications are permissible there.

History of Delimitation Commissions

In India, such Delimitation Commissions have been constituted 4 times – in 1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002.

• The recent Delimitation Commission was set up on 12 July 2002 (after 2the 001 census) with Justice Kuldip Singh (retd. Judge of the Supreme Court of India) as its Chairperson.

• The recommendation of this commission was approved by the Union Cabinet on January 10, 2008, and by the then President Pratibha Patil on February 19y, 2008.

• The Constitution of India was specifically amended in 2002 [84th Amendment Act, 2001, which amended the provisions 170(3) of Article. 82] not to have delimitation of constituencies till the first census after 2026.

• The recent delimitation has been done on the basis of the 2001 census.

Members of the Commission

Election Commissioners of all the States and Union Territories, along with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, are the members of the Delimitation Commission.

Number of Reserved / General Seats After Delimitation

Note: Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Jharkhand are such states that could not be covered by the Delimitation Commission 2002.

Official Language of India

Introduction

• The Official language of the Union is Hindi in the Devanagari script [Art. 343]. English was to continue to be used as the principal official language of the Union side-by-side with Hindi till 1965.

• The first Official Language Commission was appointed in 1955 under Shri B.G. Kher as Chairman, and it recommended that a rigid date line for the changeover of language should not be prescribed. This recommendation was accepted.

Classical Languages

• The Government of India decided to create a new category of 'classical languages' (in 2004) and laid down the criteria for conferring the classical language status (in 2006).

• At present (in 2016), six languages — Tamil (in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Telugu (2008), Kannada (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (in 2014) — are granted the classical language status.

Language of the State / Link Language

[Article 345] seeks to tackle the issue of the official language for each state and the language for intra-state official transactions.

• The Legislature of a State can adopt any one or more languages used in the State or Hindi for the official purposes of that State.

• There is also a provision for the recognition of any other language for the official purpose of a State or any part thereof, upon a substantial popular demand for it being made to the President. [Ref.: Art. 347]

Language in SC and High Courts & Authoritative Text of Laws

Until Parliament by law provides otherwise, English is the language of the authoritative text of:

• All proceedings in the Supreme Court and in every High Court.

• All Bills or amendments thereto moved in either House of Parliament or the State Legislature.

• All Acts passed by Parliament or the Legislature of a State.

• All Ordinances promulgated by the President or the Governor of a State.

• All orders, rules, regulations, and by-laws issued under the Constitution or under any law made by Parliament or the Legislature of a State.

A State Legislature can prescribe the use of any language other than English for Bills and Acts passed by itself or Subordinate Legislation made thereunder.

Languages in the 8th Schedule

The languages included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution are:

Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepalese, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Maithili, Santhali, Dogri, and Bodo.

• Sindhi was inserted by the Constitution (21st Amendment Act, 1967).

• Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali were inserted by the Constitution (71st Amendment Act, 1992).

• Maithili, Dogri, Bodo, and Santhali were inserted by the Constitution (92nd Amendment Act, 2003).

Privileges of 8th Schedule Languages

• To have a member in the Official Language Commission.

• To be considered for a contribution towards the development of the Hindi language.

Final Thoughts

The Delimitation Commission of India ensures that every citizen’s voice is fairly represented in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies by redrawing constituency boundaries based on the latest census data. This process not only maintains equity in representation but also adjusts the number of SC and ST seats according to demographic changes.

At the same time, India’s official language policies protect linguistic diversity while enabling efficient governance. The recognition of classical languages and the inclusion of languages in the 8th Schedule provide cultural acknowledgment and encourage their development in education and administration.

Together, the work of the Delimitation Commission and the language frameworks strengthens democracy, inclusivity, and fair governance, ensuring that every region and community has a meaningful voice in India’s progress.