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.
