Delimitation and the SouthInstead of indulging in what looks to be verbal/statistical jugglery and dismissing the genuine concerns flagged leaders in the southern States — about the possibility of their losing out to the northern States in the delimitation exercise — the Centre needs to do more. It would do well to give an iron-clad guarantee to the South on one count: that the ‘pro rata basis’ is based on the 1971 census and not on the basis of population (February 27). The southern States should not be outmanoeuvred by the Centre and have unfair electoral advantage being granted to the northern states. The government must be transparent.M. Jameel Ahmed,MysuruThe statement that the seats for the southern States will not shrink is not the same thing as saying that the seats in the northern States will not increase. A delimitation exercise should not lead to the unhappy prospect of reduced representation in both Houses of Parliament. India’s southern States are more developed than those in the north.Delimitation should ensure that as a State’s population significantly influences the allocation of central funds, it should not impact their financial heft. To uphold the principle of cooperative federalism, the best option would be put the exercise of delimitation on hold till all States reach the goal of a lowered TFR of 2.1 or even lower.H.N. Ramakrishna,BengaluruThe delimitation exercise will increase the number of representatives, also adding to the financial burden on the exchequer. However, with a significant percentage of serving Lok Sabha members facing criminal cases — some of them are involved in serious offences — this expansion raises concerns about the quality of governance more than representation. We also have legislative sessions being marked by disruptions and pandemonium, with little meaningful discussion on crucial Bills.Without electoral reforms such as barring serious offenders from contesting and enforcing parliamentary discipline, an increase in House strength will only worsen disruptions, waste public funds, and hinder meaningful policymaking. More lawmakers should mean better governance, and not more lawbreakers.Gopalaswamy J.,ChennaiBattle for spaceIndia’s rapid urbanisation is causing the expansion of human settlements into areas that were once exclusive wildlife habitats. Conflicts with wildlife have reached unprecedented levels, leading to retaliatory animal killings. Mitigation of human-wildlife conflict is thus becoming one of the major concerns for wildlife managers and the scientific community. It is necessary to address the issue in a holistic manner.R. Sivakumar,ChennaiPublished - February 28, 2025 12:24 am IST