Only J&K will use 2011 Census for delimitation

The newly created Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) will be the only one in the country to undergo a delimitation exercise based on the population figures recorded in the 2011 census. The latest readjustment of boundaries of constituencies in other States and UTs has been done on the basis of 2001 census and in future it will be carried out according to the 2031 census.

A senior Home Ministry official said the unique provision for J&K was enabled through an amendment that was introduced in the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019. The Act passed by Parliament on August 6, downgraded and bifurcated the State of J&K into two Union Territories – J&K (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature). The J&K Assembly was dissolved in November 2018 and the region has been Centre’s rule since June 2018.