The Seen and the Unseen - hosted by Amit Varma
Ep 336: Shruti Rajagopalan Dives Into Delimitation
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Delimitation in India has resulted in unequal representation and dilutes the principle of one person, one vote.
- Underprivileged groups such as the poor, marginalized, and minorities suffer from underrepresentation in the current delimitation system.
- Migration is not a sufficient solution to solve the representation imbalance issue in a short timeframe and raises other challenges.
- A solution to delimitation in India is to redesign the parliament into a bicameral system, with a larger Lok Sabha and a 'Revenue Sabha' based on state revenue per capita.
Deep dives
Introduction to Delimitation and Constitutional Design
Delimitation refers to the act of fixing boundaries and limits, specifically referring to the number of constituencies, size of constituencies, and redrawing of electoral boundaries. The idea of delimitation originated from the 1919 and 1935 Acts in British India, which had representation based on British Indian provinces and princely states. During the Constituent Assembly debates, the decision was made to adopt a parliamentary system with a lower house (Lok Sabha) and an upper house (Rajya Sabha). The Lok Sabha seats were distributed based on proportional representation, with one MP for roughly every 750,000 people. The Rajya Sabha seats were also based on proportionality, allocated to states based on population. The aim was to uphold the principle of one person, one vote. Over time, the maximum number of seats in the Lok Sabha increased through constitutional amendments. The Rajya Sabha representation also evolved as new states joined the union. The system aimed to ensure equal representation for each citizen in theory, but variations in constituency sizes meant that the power of a vote differed among states. The representation per MP could range from 1.75 million to 3.1 million citizens, causing imbalances and diluting the principle of one person, one vote.
Underrepresentation of Poor and Marginalized Groups
The current delimitation system in India has resulted in underrepresentation of poor and marginalized groups. Poor people tend to have higher fertility rates, which means states with higher poverty levels are underrepresented in parliament. Additionally, young people, SC/ST communities, and Muslims also suffer from low representation due to the delimitation freeze. This inequality in representation is a major concern and goes against the principle of equal franchise.
Migration is Not a Sufficient Solution
While migration plays a role in population movement, it is not a sufficient solution to solve the malapportionment problem. Migration rates in India are relatively low, and the current levels of migration are unlikely to even out the representation imbalance within a short timeframe. Additionally, migration raises other challenges, such as difficulties in obtaining entitlements and lack of portability of benefits, which can prevent migrants from fully participating in their new constituency.
The Need for More Representatives and Equal Representation
To address the delimitation problem, India needs a two-fold solution. First, increasing the number of MPs to accommodate a growing population is necessary. Second, equal constituency sizes across states are crucial to ensure every voter's voice carries equal weight. Addressing these issues requires a shift in the current fiscal system, better portability of entitlements, and a rethink of the delimitation process. The goal should be to create a republic where every citizen's vote counts equally, irrespective of their regional or social background.
Proposal for a Bicameral System
One of the main solutions proposed is to redesign the Indian parliament into a bicameral system that better aligns political interests with economic outcomes. The Lok Sabha would have a much larger number of seats, around 1872, with one MP per 750,000 constituents. This would lead to a more diverse and varied representation, making centralized decision-making difficult. The larger number of legislators would also result in true aggregation of preferences and increased negotiation. The Rajya Sabha would be transformed into a 'Revenue Sabha,' where the number of seats allotted to each state is based on their own state revenue per capita compared to the national average.
Revenue-based Representation
The proposed formula for the Revenue Sabha would allocate seats based on a ratio of each state's own state revenue per capita to the national average. States with higher own state revenue per capita relative to the average would receive a higher proportion of seats, while states with lower revenue would receive a lower proportion. This approach aims to incentivize the political class to pursue policies that promote economic growth and reduce dependence on intergovernmental transfers. By tying political power and representation in the Rajya Sabha to a state's economic performance, it is expected that states will prioritize policies that encourage growth rather than redistribution.
Allocation of Seats in Rajasabha and Revenue Subha
The podcast explores the current allocation of seats in Rajasabha and argues for a shift towards a proportional allocation based on population. The speaker emphasizes that this formula allows for future growth and change in the representation of states. For example, if Uttar Pradesh improves economically and has a larger youth population, its number of seats in Rajasabha would increase. Similarly, if Kerala's population declines or there is an influx of young people from Bihar and UP, Kerala's seat count would decrease. The speaker acknowledges that this proposal may not be politically feasible due to a preference for the status quo and fear of destabilizing the union.
Implications of Tax Revenues and Political Incentives
The podcast explores the potential implications of tying political power to tax revenues. The speaker acknowledges concerns that higher taxes may result from politicians prioritizing short-term gain in terms of political power. However, the speaker argues that these concerns may be overblown due to several factors. The six-year term in Rajasabha provides greater stability and discourages excessive tax hikes. Additionally, the inclusion of productivity and consumption-based taxes in state tax revenues creates democratic pressures against significant tax increases. The speaker also suggests that the movement of people within India would limit the effectiveness of tax terrorism or excessive taxation. While acknowledging the potential downsides, the speaker believes that overall, the proposed system balances the need for economic growth and political power.
In a democracy, every vote should be equal. But in India, that's not the case. Shruti Rajagopalan joins Amit Varma in episode 336 of The Seen and the Unseen to give a detailed primer into the complex issue of Delimitation -- and to suggest her own radical solution. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Shruti Rajagopalan on Twitter, Substack, Instagram and her podcast, Ideas of India. 2. Demography, Delimitation, and Democracy -- Shruti Rajagopalan's detailed post on Delimitation. 3. Episodes of The Seen and the Unseen w Shruti Rajagopalan, in reverse chronological order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. 4. India’s Emerging Crisis of Representation -- Milan Vaishnav and Jamie Hintson. 5. Of Openings and Possibilities -- Pranay Kotasthane on Delimitation. 6. South India Would Like to Have a Word — Episode 320 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Nilakantan RS). 7. Jayaprakash Narayan Wants to Mend Our Democracy -- Episode 334 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Jayaprakash Narayan). 8. The Life and Times of Shanta Gokhale — Episode 311 of The Seen and the Unseen. 9. The Life and Times of Jerry Pinto — Episode 314 of The Seen and the Unseen. 10. Amit Varma on the Creator Economy -- A recent episode of the Ideas of India podcast. 11. Gurwinder Bhogal Examines Human Nature -- Episode 331 of The Seen and the Unseen. 12. The Prism -- Gurwinder Bhogal's Substack newsletter. 13. Public Choice Theory — Episode 121 of The Seen and the Unseen. 14. Public Choice: A Primer — Eomonn Butler. 15. Public Choice -- Politics Without Romance -- James M Buchanan. 16. Politics Without Romance -- Amit Varma's column archives for Bloomberg Quint. 17. David Hume on Britannica, Wikipedia and Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 18. Adam Smith on Britannica, Wikipedia and Amazon. 19. James M Buchanan on Britannica, Wikipedia, Econlib and Amazon. 20. Gordon Tullock on Wikipedia, Econlib, Mercatus and Amazon. 21. The Calculus of Consent — James M Buchanan and Gordon Tullock. 22. Democracy in Deficit -- James M Buchanan and Richard E Wagner. 23. Shruti Rajagopalan on our constitutional amendments. 24. Subhashish Bhadra on Our Dysfunctional State -- Episode 33 of The Seen and the Unseen. 25. Caged Tiger: How Too Much Government Is Holding Indians Back — Subhashish Bhadra. 26. Where Have All The Leaders Gone? -- Amit Varma. 27. The Political Theory of a Compound Republic -- Vincent Ostrom. 28. Urban Governance in India — Episode 31 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan). 29. India’s Greatest Civil Servant — Episode 167 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Narayani Basu, on VP Menon). 30. Great Soul -- Joseph Lelyveld. 31. Understanding Gandhi. Part 1: Mohandas — Episode 104 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ram Guha). 32. Understanding Gandhi. Part 2: Mahatma — Episode 105 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ram Guha). 33. Population Is Not a Problem, but Our Greatest Strength — Amit Varma. 34. A Life in Indian Politics — Episode 149 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Jayaprakash Narayan). 35. The First Assault on Our Constitution — Episode 194 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Tripurdaman Singh). 36. Nehru’s Debates — Episode 262 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Tripurdaman Singh and Adeel Hussain.) 37. Coalition Politics and Economic Development -- Irfan Nooruddin. 38. The Laffer Curve. 39. The Anti-Defection Law — Episode 13 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Barun Mitra). 40. Our Parliament and Our Democracy — Episode 253 of The Seen and the Unseen (w MR Madhavan). 41. The Four Quadrants of Conformism — Paul Graham. 42. ‘Let Me Interrupt Your Expertise With My Confidence’ — New Yorker cartoon by Jason Adam Katzenstein. 43. Eppur si muove. 44. Jagdish Bhagwati's co-written defence of demonetisation, and Shruti Rajagopalan's co-written rebuttal. This episode is sponsored by CTQ Compounds. Check out The Daily Reader and FutureStack. Use the code UNSEEN for Rs 2500 off. Amit Varma and Ajay Shah have launched a new video podcast. Check out Everything is Everything on YouTube. Check out Amit’s online course, The Art of Clear Writing. And subscribe to The India Uncut Newsletter. It’s free! Episode art: ‘Figure it Out’ by Simahina.
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