2.

Highlight the need for elections in a democracy

Ans: a) A mechanism by which people can choose their representatives at regular intervals and change them if they
wish to do so. This mechanism is called an election.

b) A rule of the people is possible without any elections if all the people can sit together every day and take all the
decisions

c) Nor is it possible for everyone to have the time and knowledge to take decisions an all matters

d) Therefore, in most democracies, people rule through their representatives

3. What choices are made by the voters during elections?

Ans: Elections are considered essential in our times for any representative democracy. In an election the voters make
many choices-

a) They can choose who will make the laws for them’
b) They can choose who will form the government and take all the major decisions
c) They can choose the party whose policies will guide the government and the law making

4. Explain the conditions which make an election democratic.

Ans: A simple list of the minimum conditions of a democratic election-

 First, everyone should be able to choose. This means that everyone should have one vote and every vote
should have equal value
 Second, there should be something to choose from. Parties and candidates should be free to contest
elections and should offer some real choices to the voters.
 Third, the choice should be offered at regular intervals. Elections must be held regularly after every few
years.
 Fourth, the candidate preferred by the people should get elected.
 Fifth, elections should be conducted in a free and fair manner where people can choose as they really wish.

5. Is it good to have political competition? Explain with suitable arguments.

Ans: Elections are all about political competition. This competition takes various forms. The most obvious form is the
competition among the political parties. At the constituency level, it takes the form of competition among several
candidates.

DEMERITS

a) An electoral competition has many demerits.

b) Different political parties and leaders often level allegations against one another
c) Parties and candidates often use dirty tricks to win elections
d) Pressure to win electoral fights does not allow sensible long-term policies to be formulated
e) Some good people who may wish to serve the country do not enter the arena. They do not like the idea of
being dragged into unhealthy competition.

MERITS

a) Regular electoral competition provides incentives to political parties and leaders. They know that if they
raise issues that people want to be raised, their popularity and chances of victory will increase in the next
elections. But if they fail to satisfy the voters with their work, they won’t be able to win again.
b) If a political party is motivated only by the desire to be in power, even then it will be forced to serve the
people
c) Similarly, political competition may cause divisions and some ugliness, but it finally helps to force political
parties and leaders to serve the people.

6. Define the following terms-

a) General elections

Ans: Elections are held in all constituencies at the same time, either on the same day or within a few days. This is
called a GENERAL ELECTION

b) By-elections

Ans: Sometimes an election is held only for one constituency to fill the vacancy caused by death or resignation of a
member. This is called a BY-ELECTION

c) Mid-term elections

Ans: MID-TERM ELECTIOS are held before the competition of the regular time period of the legislature.

7. Explain the basis for forming electoral constituencies in India.

Ans: a) In our country, we follow an area-based system of representation. The country is divided into different areas
for purposes of elections. These areas are called ELECTORAL CANSTITUENCIES. The voters who live in an area elect
one representative.

b) For Lok Sabha elections, the country is divided into 543 constituencies. The representative elected from each
constituency is called a MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT (MP)

c) Our Constitution requires that each constituency should have a roughly equal population living within it.

d) Each state is divided into a specific number of Assembly constituencies. In this case, the elected representative is
called the MEMBER OF LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLE (MLA)

e) Each parliamentary constituency has within it several assembly constituencies. The same principle applies for
Panchayat and Municipal elections. Each village or town is divided into several ‘wards’ that are like constituencies.
Each ward elects one member of the village or the urban local body.

8. Highlight the need for reserved constituencies in India.

Ans: a) The constituency makers were worried that in an open electoral competition, certain weaker sections may
not stand a good chance to get elected to the Lok Sabha and the state Legislative Assemblies.

b) They may not have the required resources, education and contacts to contest elections and win elections against
others

c) Those who are influential and resourceful may prevent them from winning elections.

d) If that happens, our Parliament and the assemblies would be deprived of the voice of a significant section of our
population. That would make our democracy less representative and less democratic.

e) So, the makers of our Constitution thought of a special system of reserved constituencies for the weaker sections.
Some constituencies are reserved for the people who belong to the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes
(ST).

9. Explain the system of reserved constituencies in India

Ans: a) In India, some constituencies are reserved for the people who belong to the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the
Scheduled Tribes (ST).

b) In a SC reserved constituency, only someone who belongs to the Scheduled Castes can stand for elections.
Similarly, only those belonging to the Scheduled Tribes can contest an election from a constituency reserved for the
ST

c) Currently, in the Lok Sabha, 84 seats are e=reserved for the Scheduled Castes and 47 for the Scheduled Tribes. This
number is in proportion to their share in the population.
d) Thus, the reserved seats for SC and ST do not take away the legitimate share of any other social group. In many
states, seats in rural (panchayat) and urban (municipalities and corporations) local bodies re now reserved for Other
Backward Classes (OBC’s) as well

e) One-third of the seats are reserved in rural and urban local bodies for women candidates.

10. Define Voters’ List. Who prepare it? When and why is it updated?

Ans: The list of those who are eligible to vote is prepared much before the election and is given to everyone. This list
is officially called the Electoral Roll and is commonly known as the VOTERS’ LIST

a) It is the responsibility of the government to get the names of all the eligible voters put on the voters’ list
b) As new people attain the voting age, their names are added to the voters’ list. Names of those who move out
of a place or those who are dad are deleted. A complete revision of the list takes place every five years.

11. Define Universal Adult Franchise. Why is it adopted in India?

Ans: Universal Adult Franchise means that everyone should have one vote and each vote should have equal value.
No one should be denied the right to vote without a good reason.

a) Different citizens differ from one another in many ways; some are rich, some are poor, some are highly
educated, some are not so educated or not educated at all; some are kind, others are not so kind. But all of
them are human beings with their own needs and views
b) That is why all of them deserve to have an equal say in decisions that affect them.

12. What details need to be given by a candidate in the legal declaration while filing the nomination form?

Ans: Political parties nominate their candidates who get the party symbol and support. Party's nomination is often
called party ‘ticket’.

a) Every person who wishes to contest an election has to fill a ‘nomination form’ and give some money as ‘security
deposit’.

b) Recently, a new system of declaration has been introduced on the direction from the Supreme Court. Every
candidate has to make a legal declaration, giving full details of:

 Serious criminal cases pending against the candidate

 Details of the assets and liabilities of the candidate and his/her family
 Educational qualifications of the candidate

c) this information has to be made public. This provides an opportunity to the voters to make their decision on the
basis of the information provided n=by the candidates.

13. Highlight the need for Election Campaign

Ans: a) The main purpose of the election is to give the people a chance to choose the representatives, the
government and the policies they prefer

b) Therefore, it is necessary to have a fee and open discussion about who is a better representative, which party will
make a better government or what is a good policy. This is what happens during the election campaigns

14. What is the duration of Election Campaign in India? Mention the methods by which Election Campaigns are
done.

Ans: a) In our country, such election campaign take place for a two-week period between the announcement of the
final list of candidates and the date of polling

b) During this period, the candidates contact their voters, political leaders address the election meetings and political
parties mobilise their supporters

c) This is also the period when newspapers and television news are full of election related stories and debates
d) In election campaigns, political parties try to focus public attention on some big issues. They want to attract the
public to that issue and get them to vote for their party on that basis.

15. Write some successful slogans given by different political parties during different elections in India

Ans: a) The Congress Party led by Indira Gandhi gave the slogan of Garibi Hatao (Remove Poverty) in the Lok Sabha
elections of 1917. The party promised to reorient all the policies of the government to remove poverty from the
country

b) Save Democracy was the slogan given by Janta Party under the leadership of Jayaprakash Narayan, in the Lok
Sabha election held in 1977. The party promised to undo the excesses committed during Emergency and restore civil
liberties.

c) The Left Front used the slogan of Land to the Tiller in the West Bengal assembly elections held in 1977.

d) Protect the Self-Respect of the Telugus was the slogan used by N.T. Rama Rao, the leader of the Telugu Dasam
Party in Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections in 1983

16. Why is it necessary to regulate the Election Campaigns? What are the election laws in disrespect?

Ans: In a democracy, it is best to leave political parties and candidates free to conduct their election campaigns the
way they want to.

But it is sometimes necessary to regulate campaigns to ensure that every political party and candidate gets a fair and
equal chance to compete. According to our election law, no party/candidate can-

a) Bribe or threaten the voters

b) Appeal to them in the name of caste or religion
c) Use government resources for election campaign
d) Spend more than Rs.25,00,000 in a constituency for a Lok Sabha election or Rs.10,00,000 in a constituency in
an Assembly election

17. Mention the features of Model Code of Conduct

Ans: According to the Model Code of Conduct for the election campaigns, no party/candidate can-

a) Use any place of worship for election propaganda

b) Use government vehicles, aircrafts and officials for elections
c) Once elections are announced, ministers shall not lay foundation stones of any projects, take any big policy
decisions or make any promises of providing public facilities.

18. Explain the procedure for polling and counting of votes

Ans: POLLING

 Every person whose name is in the voters’ list can go to a nearby ‘polling booth’, situated usually in a local
school or a government office
 Once the voter goes inside the booth, the election officials identify him/her, put a mark on his/her finger and
allow him/her to cast his/her vote
 An agent of each candidate is allowed to sit inside the polling booth and ensure that the voting takes place In
a fair way

COUNTING

 Once the polling is over, all the EVM’s are sealed and taken to a secure place. A few days later, on a fixed
date, all the EVM’s from a constituency are opened and the votes secured by each candidate are counted
 The agents of all the candidates are present there to ensure that the counting is done properly
 The candidate who secures the highest number of votes from a constituency is declared elected. In a general
election, usually the counting of votes in all the constituencies takes place at the same time, on a same day
  Television channels, radio and newspapers report this event. Within a few hours of counting, all the results
are declared and it becomes clear as to who will form the next government.

19. Highlight the unfair practices adopted by the contesting candidates during elections

 Inclusion of false names and exclusion of genuine names in the voters’ list
 Misuse of government facilities and officials by the ruling party
 Excessive use of money by the rich candidates and big parties
 Intimidation of voters and rigging on the polling day

20. Write briefly about Independent Election Commission and its significance

Ans: a) In our country, elections are conducted by an independent and very powerful Election Commission [EC].

b) It enjoys the same kind of independence that the judiciary enjoys. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) is
appointed by the President of India.

c) Once appointed, the CEC is not answerable to the President or the government. Even if the ruling party or the
government does not like what the Commission does, it is virtually impossible for it to remove the CEC.

21. “Very few election Commissions in the world have such wide-ranging powers as the Election Commission of
India. Justify the statement with arguments

 EC takes decisions on every aspect of conduct and control of elections from the announcement of elections
to the declaration off results
 It implements the Code of Conduct and punishes any candidate or party that violates it
 During the election period, the EC ca order the government to follow some guidelines, to prevent the use
and misuse of governmental power to enhance its chance to win elections, or to transfer some government
officials.
 When on election duty, government officers work under the control of the EC and not the government

22. How can we conclude that the elections are becoming popular in India?

 People's participation in election is usually measured by voter turnout figures, turnout indicates the percent
of eligible voters who actually cast their vote. Over the last 50 years, the turnout in Europe and North
America has declined. In India the turnout has either remained stable or actually gone up
 In India. The poor, illiterate, and unprivileged people vote in larger proportion as compared to the rich and
privileged sections. This is in contrast to the Western democracies. For example, in the USA, poor people,
African Americans and Hispanics vote much less than the rich and the white people
 Common people in India attach a lot of importance to election. The feel that through elections, they can
bring pressure on political parties to adopt policies and programmes favourable to them. They also tell that
their vote matters in the way things ae run in the country
 The interest of voters in election-related activities has been increasing over the years. During the 2004
election, more than one-third voters took part in a campaign-related activities. More than half of the people
identified themselves as being close to one or the other political party. 1 out of 7 voters is a member of a
political party.

23. “One final test of the free and fairness of election has in the outcome itself”. Justify the statement

 The ruling parties routinely lose elections in India both at the national and state level. In fact, in two out of
the three elections held in the last 25 years, the ruling party lost.
 In USA, an incumbent or ‘sitting’ elected representative rarely loses an election. In India, about half of the
sitting MP’s or MLA’s lose elections
 Candidates who are known to have spent a lot of money on ‘buying votes’ and those with known criminal
connections often lose elections
 Barring very few disputed elections, the electoral outcomes are usually accepted as ‘people’s verdict’ by the
defeated party.
24. Describe the challenges to free and fair elections

 Candidates and parties with a lot of money may not be sure of their victory but they do enjoy a big and
unfair advantage over smaller parties and independents
 In some parts of the country, candidates with criminal connection have been able to push others out of the
electoral race and to secure a ‘ticket’ from the major parties
 Some families tend to dominate the political parties; tickets are distributed to relatives from these families.
 Very often elections offer little choice to ordinary citizens, for both the major parties are quite similar to each
other both in policies and practice.
 Smaller parties and independent candidates suffer a huge disadvantage as compare to the bigger parties