Class | Subject | Book | Chapter | Session | Questions covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XI | Political Science | Indian Constitution at Work (NCERT) | 3 – Election and Representation | 2026-27 | 10 of 10 |
Chapter at a glance
Topic | Key points |
|---|---|
Democracy | Direct democracy (citizens decide) vs indirect/representative democracy (elected representatives) |
FPTP | First Past the Post: candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins (Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabhas) |
PR | Proportional Representation: seats in proportion to votes; India uses PR by single transferable vote for Rajya Sabha, President, Vice-President |
Reserved constituencies | Seats reserved for SCs and STs, but all voters in the constituency vote; separate electorates rejected |
Universal adult franchise | All citizens 18 years and above (reduced from 21 by the 61st Amendment, 1989) |
Election Commission | Article 324; Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners; superintendence of elections to Parliament, state legislatures, President and Vice-President |
Exercise Questions
Which of the following resembles most a direct democracy?
Answer
- Discussions in a family meeting b. Election of the class monitor c. Choice of a candidate by a political party d. Decisions taken by the Gram Sabha e. Opinion polls conducted by the media
Answer
In the Gram Sabha, all adult voters of the village meet and take decisions themselves.
- Decisions taken by the Gram Sabha
Which of the following tasks are not performed by the Election Commission?
Answer
- Preparing the Electoral Rolls b. Nominating the candidates c. Setting up polling booths d. Implementing the model code of conduct e. Supervising the Panchayat elections
Answer
- (b) Nominating candidates is done by political parties or candidates themselves.
- (e) Supervising Panchayat elections is done by the State Election Commissions, not the Election Commission of India.
- and (e)
Which of the following is common to the method of election of the members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha?
Answer
- Every citizen above the age of 18 is an eligible voter b. Voter can give preference order for different candidates c. Every vote has equal value d. The winner must get more than half the votes
Answer
Rajya Sabha members are elected by MLAs (not all citizens) using preferences; Lok Sabha uses FPTP without a majority requirement. In both, each vote has equal value.
- Every vote has equal value
In the First Past the Post system, that candidate is declared winner who
Answer
- Secures the largest number of postal ballots b. Belongs to the party that has highest number of votes in the country c. Has more votes than any other candidate in the constituency d. Attains first position by securing more than 50% votes
Answer
- Has more votes than any other candidate in the constituency
What is the difference between the system of reservation of constituencies and the system of separate electorate? Why did the Constitution makers reject the latter?
Answer
Answer
Reserved constituencies | Separate electorates |
|---|---|
Only candidates from the particular community (SC/ST) can contest in a reserved constituency | Representatives of a community are elected only by voters of that community |
All voters of the constituency, of every community, vote | Only members of that community vote for its candidates |
Why separate electorates were rejected
- The British had introduced separate electorates (for Muslims, 1909) as part of “divide and rule”; they were seen as a cause of communal division and Partition.
- They would divide society into separate political compartments and prevent representatives from seeking the support of all communities.
- Reserved constituencies ensure representation for disadvantaged groups while keeping a common electorate, so candidates must appeal to everyone, promoting national unity.
In reserved constituencies all voters elect a candidate from the reserved group; in separate electorates only that community votes. The latter was rejected because it divides society on communal lines.
Which of the following statements are incorrect? Identify and correct them by substituting, adding or rearranging only one word or phrase.
Answer
- FPTP system is followed for all the elections in India.
- Election Commission does not supervise Panchayat and Municipal elections.
- President of India cannot remove an Election Commissioner.
- Appointment of more than one Election Commissioner in the Election Commission is mandatory.
Answer
- Incorrect. Corrected: FPTP system is followed for most elections in India (Rajya Sabha, President and Vice-President are elected by proportional representation).
- Correct (State Election Commissions supervise them).
- Incorrect. Corrected: President of India can remove an Election Commissioner (on the recommendation of the Chief Election Commissioner).
- Incorrect. Corrected: Appointment of more than one Election Commissioner in the Election Commission is not mandatory (the Constitution allows a one-member or multi-member Commission).
(a), (c) and (d) are incorrect: (a) “all” → “most”; (c) “cannot” → “can”; (d) “is mandatory” → “is not mandatory”. (b) is correct.
Indian electoral system aims at ensuring representation of socially disadvantaged sections. However we have only 12 per cent women members in our legislatures. What measures would you suggest to improve the situation?
Answer
Answer
- Reservation of seats for women in Parliament and state legislatures — the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) provides one-third reservation, to take effect after the next delimitation; it should be implemented quickly.
- Political parties should give more tickets to women candidates (e.g. at least one-third), and include women in party leadership.
- Encourage women at the grassroots: one-third (and in many states 50 %) reservation in panchayats and municipalities has created a large pool of women leaders who can move up.
- Education and awareness, and changing social attitudes towards women in public life.
- Safety and support: curbing violence and harassment, funding for women candidates, and family support.
Implement one-third reservation for women in legislatures, have parties nominate more women, build on panchayat reservations, and promote education, safety and changes in social attitudes.
Here are some wishes expressed in a conference to discuss a constitution for a new country. Write against each of these whether FPTP or Proportional Representation system is more suited to meet each of these wishes.
Answer
- People should clearly know who is their representative so that they can hold him or her personally accountable.
- We have small linguistic minorities who are spread all over the country; we should ensure fair representation to them.
- There should be no discrepancy between votes and seats for different parties.
- People should be able to elect a good candidate even if they do not like his or her political party.
Answer
- FPTP — each constituency has one representative.
- PR — scattered minorities get seats in proportion to their total votes.
- PR — seats are in proportion to votes.
- FPTP — voters vote for a candidate, not only a party list.
- FPTP b) PR c) PR d) FPTP
A former Chief Election Commissioner joined a political party and contested elections. There are various views on this issue. One view is that a former Election Commissioner is an independent citizen and has a right to join any political party and to contest election. According to the other view, leaving this possibility open can affect the impartiality of the Election Commission. So, former Election Commissioners must not be allowed to contest any elections. Which position do you agree with and why?
Answer
Answer
I agree with the second view, that former Election Commissioners should not be allowed to contest elections (at least for a substantial period after retirement).
- The Election Commission must be — and must be seen to be — completely impartial, since it conducts elections for all parties.
- If a Commissioner can join a party after retirement, there is a risk that, while in office, they may favour that party in the hope of a future reward. This would damage public trust in elections.
- Similar restrictions apply to other constitutional posts; e.g. the CAG and members of the UPSC cannot take further government office.
- The restriction on an individual’s right is reasonable compared with the public interest in free and fair elections.
(One could argue that it violates their right as citizens; a compromise would be a cooling-off period.)
The second view: to protect the Commission’s impartiality and public trust, former Election Commissioners should not contest elections (or at least should observe a long cooling-off period).
“Indian democracy is now ready to shift from a crude First Past the Post system to a system of Proportional Representation”. Do you agree with this statement? Give your reasons for or against this statement.
Answer
Answer
I do not agree.
Reasons for keeping FPTP
- FPTP is simple for voters, including the less educated, and easy to count.
- Voters have a clear local representative who is accountable to the constituency.
- It tends to produce stable governments; PR might lead to many small parties and unstable coalitions.
- It encourages parties to build broad social coalitions across castes and communities, since winning a seat needs votes from many groups; PR might encourage parties based on single castes or religions.
- Reserved constituencies already ensure representation for SCs and STs.
Arguments for PR: FPTP can produce a big gap between votes and seats (a party may win a majority with about 30–40 % of votes), and small groups and women may be under-represented.
Conclusion: rather than a complete shift, India could consider reforms (e.g. reservation for women, possibly a mixed system), but FPTP has served Indian democracy well.
No; FPTP is simple, gives a clear local representative and stable governments, and encourages broad social coalitions, though reforms to address vote–seat gaps can be considered.
Topic checklist
- Direct and representative democracy
- FPTP and Proportional Representation
- Reserved constituencies vs separate electorates
- Universal adult franchise
- Election Commission and electoral reforms