Key Terms & Concepts — UPSC Mains
Degressive Proportionality
"A representation principle where larger states get more seats but at a decreasing rate relative to population, protecting smaller states from underrepresentation"
Degressive proportionality is a principle of political representation where the ratio of seats to population decreases as population increases — meaning larger states receive more seats in absolute terms, but fewer seats per capita compared to smaller states. This ensures that smaller or less populous states retain a meaningful legislative voice and are not overwhelmed by demographic giants. The European Parliament uses degressive proportionality explicitly: no EU member state can have fewer than 6 or more than 96 MEPs, regardless of population. In India's delimitation debate, degressive proportionality has been proposed as a compromise between pure population-based seat allocation (which would massively benefit UP and Bihar) and the current frozen allocation (which underrepresents northern states).
Highly relevant for UPSC GS-2 (Polity — Representation, Federalism) and Interview. The delimitation debate post-2026 will test whether India adopts pure proportional representation, degressive proportionality, or a hybrid formula. Understanding this concept is essential for answering questions on federalism, democratic representation, and the north-south divide.
- 1 Larger units get more seats but at a decreasing per-capita ratio
- 2 Protects smaller states from being overwhelmed by populous states
- 3 Used by the European Parliament (6-96 MEP range per member state)
- 4 Proposed as compromise in India's post-2026 delimitation debate
- 5 Alternative to pure population-based allocation which would give UP ~128 seats
In the delimitation debate, constitutional scholars have proposed a degressive proportionality formula where UP gains seats but not in strict proportion to its population — ensuring southern states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu retain meaningful representation despite lower populations.
