Consider the following statements regarding the number of seats in the legislatures of India and the U.S.:

1. The number of seats in the Lok Sabha was fixed at 543 based on the 1971 Census, when India’s population was 54.8 crore, and will be readjusted based on the first Census after 2026.

2. In the United States, the number of seats in the House of Representatives has remained fixed at 435 since 1913, despite the population increasing nearly fourfold.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The correct answer is option 3.

In News

• There has been renewed debate on delimitation in India, as the number of Lok Sabha seats is set to be revised after the first Census post-2026. 

Key Points

• India's Lok Sabha seats (543) were frozen based on the 1971 Census, which recorded a population of 54.8 crore. This was done to encourage population control measures. Hence, Statement 1 is correct.
• In the U.S., the House of Representatives has remained at 435 seats since 1913, even though the population has grown from 9.4 crore in 1911 to approximately 34 crore in 2024. Hence, Statement 2 is correct.

Additional Information

• The delimitation exercise in India has been postponed multiple times, with the next adjustment set for after 2026, once the postponed 2021 Census is conducted.
• Two approaches are being debated:
  • Redistributing the existing 543 seats among states.
  • Expanding Lok Sabha to 848 seats based on projected population.
• Southern states fear a loss of representation due to lower population growth compared to northern states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
• The U.S. system redistributes seats among states every 10 years based on population shifts, but the total number remains fixed at 435 to maintain stability.