Elections - Questions & Answers

EXERCISES

I. Multiple-Choice Questions
Choose the correct answers to the questions from the given options.

1. People of India directly elect their representatives to the Lok Sabha and the (c) State Legislative Assemblies.
(a) Rajya Sabha
(b) State Legislative Council
(c) State Legislative Assemblies
(d) Parliamentary Committees.

2. If a person runs for election as the President of India, he/she requires the votes of
(P) : Elected Members of both Houses of Parliament.
(Q) : Elected Members of the Legislative Assemblies of the States.
(R) : Elected Members of Legislative Councils.
(S) : Nominated Members of Rajya Sabha.
(a) P and Q
(b) R and S
(c) P and R
(d) Q and R
Answer: (a) P and Q

3. Which of the following refers to a group of people holding similar views or beliefs?
(a) Government
(b) Political Party
(c) Election Commission
(d) Candidate
Answer: (b) Political Party

4. The election held upon dissolution of Legislature before its full term of five years is (d) Mid-term elections.
(a) General elections
(b) Direct elections
(c) Indirect elections
(d) Mid-term elections

5. (A) The members of the State Legislative Assemblies are directly elected by the people of the States.
(R) Every adult person holds the right to vote.
(a) (A) is true but (R) is false.
(b) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
(c) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(d) Both (A) and (R) are false.
Answer: (c) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

6. Indirect Elections are held to elect members of
(a) Lok Sabha
(b) Rajya Sabha
(c) Vidhan Parishad
(d) Both (b) and (c)
Answer: (d) Both (b) and (c)

7. Who appoints the Election Commissioners?
(a) President of India
(b) Prime Minister of India
(c) Chief Justice of India
(d) Act of Parliament
Answer: (a) President of India

8. What is the normal term of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Commissioners?
(a) Five years
(b) Four years
(c) Six years
(d) Ten years
Answer: (c) Six years

9. How is the difference of opinion amongst the Election Commissioners settled?
(a) In favour of the majority
(b) The Supreme Court settles it
(c) The Chief Election Commissioner's opinion is final
(d) The President intervenes and decides.
Answer: (a) In favour of the majority

10. The Election Commission conducts
(a) Parliamentary Elections
(b) State Legislative Elections
(c) Election of the Office of President
(d) All of the above
Answer: (d) All of the above

11. (A) An election held before the completion of the full term of Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assembly is called By-Election.
(R) An election held for a particular seat or seats which falls vacant due to the death, resignation of the member before completing his/her term is called Mid-term Election.
(a) (A) is true but (R) is false.
(b) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
(c) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(d) Both (A) and (R) are false.
Answer: (d) Both (A) and (R) are false.

12. Every registered political party is allotted a symbol. Which of the following statements is correct about the allotment of a symbol to a Political registered party?
(a) A registered political party is allotted a symbol from its list of 'reserved symbols'.
(b) A registered political party selects a symbol of its choice from the list of 'free symbols'.
(c) A registered political party selects a symbol of its choice from a list of 'reserved symbols'.
(d) A registered political party can take any symbol of its choice.
Answer: (a) A registered political party is allotted a symbol from its list of 'reserved symbols'.

13. Election symbols are allotted to political parties by the (c) Election Commission.
(a) President of India
(b) Chief Election Commissioner
(c) Election Commission
(d) Political Party itself

14. Constituency : Returning Officer :: (c) Both (a) and (b) : Presiding Officers
(a) Polling booths
(b) Counting centres
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) None of the above.

15. Which of the following helps the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections?
(a) Code of Conduct
(b) Severe punishment for booth capturing
(c) Central Observers
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (d) All of the above.

II. Short Answer Questions

1. What is meant by the term: election?
Answer: Election is a procedure whereby persons are chosen, by voting, to represent the voters for running the government. It involves a contest between different candidates for the same position where there are winners and losers.

2. Under which method of elections are the elections to Lok Sabha held? Name the system of election to the office of the President of India.
Answer: Elections to the Lok Sabha are held under the Direct Elections method. The system of election to the office of the President of India is the Indirect Election method (by a system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote).

3. What is meant by (a) By-Election and (b) Mid-term Election?
Answer: (a) By-Election: An election held to fill a vacant seat or seats in the legislature caused by the death or resignation of a member before the completion of his/her term. (b) Mid-term Election: An election held when a State Legislative Assembly or the Lok Sabha is dissolved before the completion of its full five-year term.

4. Who allots the symbols to political parties? What role do election symbols play in an election?
Answer: The Election Commission allots symbols to political parties. Election symbols allow political parties to use a common recognizable mark for all candidates sponsored by them, helping voters easily identify the party and its candidates during the voting process.

5. Name two important powers and functions of the Election Commission.
Answer: 1. Preparation of Electoral Rolls and Photo Identity Cards. 2. Fixing Dates and Conducting Elections to ensure a free and fair electoral process.

6. What is known as the Voters' List? Who prepares the Voters' List?
Answer: An Electoral Roll containing the name, father's name, age, and gender of all eligible voters in each constituency is known as the Voters' List. The Election Commission prepares the Voters' List.

7. Write a short note on the advisory function of the Election Commission.
Answer: The Election Commission advises the President or the Governors of the State in respect of electoral matters, disqualification of members, election disputes, petitions, and other related issues.

III. Structured Questions

1. With reference to Democracy and Elections, answer the following questions:
(a) Distinguish between two types of elections.
Answer: The two main types are Direct and Indirect Elections. In Direct Elections, people vote directly to elect their representatives (e.g., Members of Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies). In Indirect Elections, people elect their representatives indirectly through their already elected representatives (e.g., Members of Rajya Sabha and the President).

(b) What type of elections are direct and what type are indirect in a Parliamentary Democracy?
Answer: In a Parliamentary Democracy like India, elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies are direct. Elections to the Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Councils, the President of India, and the Vice President of India are indirect.

(c) How are the elections of the President and Vice-President of India held? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer: The elections of the President and Vice-President are held through the Indirect Election method. The President is elected by an Electoral College consisting of elected members of both Houses of Parliament and elected members of the State Legislative Assemblies. The Vice-President is elected by members of both Houses of Parliament. They are considered indirect because the ordinary citizens do not vote for them directly; instead, their previously elected representatives cast the votes on their behalf.

2. With reference to types of elections, answer the following:
(a) What is known as General Elections?
Answer: The elections held to elect the members of the Lok Sabha after the normal term of five years expires are known as General Elections.

(b) State two points of difference between By-Election and Mid-term Election.
Answer: 1. A By-Election is held for a particular seat that falls vacant due to death or resignation, whereas a Mid-term Election is held when the entire State Legislative Assembly or Lok Sabha is dissolved. 2. A member elected in a By-Election serves only for the remaining unexpired term of the House, whereas a newly elected House in a Mid-term Election serves a full five-year term.

(c) When were the last General Elections held in India? What do you understand by the term 'Electorate'? What are the rights of the Electorate?
Answer: According to the chapter's context, the last General Elections were held in 2024. 'Electorate' refers to the very large collective body of eligible voters. The primary right of the electorate is the right to vote (Franchise) to choose their representatives.

3. With reference to terms of office and conditions of service of the Election Commission, answer the following questions:
(a) Who constitutes the Election Commission? Who is the head of the Election Commission? Who appoints him?
Answer: The Election Commission is constituted by the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (currently two). The Chief Election Commissioner is the head (Chairman) of the Election Commission. They are all appointed by the President of India on the recommendation of a Selection Committee.

(b) What is the term of the Election Commissioners? What happens in case there is a difference in opinion between the Election Commissioners?
Answer: The Election Commissioners are appointed for a term of 6 years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. In case there is a difference of opinion between the Chief Election Commissioner and the other Commissioners, it is decided in favour of the majority opinion.

(c) State any four functions of the Election Commission.
Answer: 1. Preparation of Electoral Rolls and issuing Photo Identity Cards. 2. Registration and recognition of political parties. 3. Allotment of symbols to political parties and candidates. 4. Ensuring free and fair elections by enforcing a code of conduct.

4. With reference to the newspaper clipping given below, answer the following:
(a) Which major national event is highlighted in the headline of the newspaper? Which is the constitutional authority associated with announcing this event? What is the term of office for this authority?
Answer: The headline highlights the major national event of the Lok Sabha General Elections. The constitutional authority associated with announcing this event is the Election Commission. The term of office for the Election Commissioners is 6 years or until the age of 65 years.

(b) The event stated in the clipping refers to which type of election—direct or indirect? For which bodies is this type of elections held? Why?
Answer: The event refers to Direct Elections. This type of election is held for the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies because it empowers the people of India to vote and directly elect their representatives to run the government.

(c) State any four points of difference between Direct and Indirect Elections.
Answer: 1. In Direct Elections, people vote directly for their representatives, while in Indirect Elections, people elect their representatives through already elected representatives. 2. Direct Elections involve a very large body of voters (the electorate), whereas Indirect Elections involve a very small body of voters. 3. Every adult person holds the right to vote in Direct Elections, while only elected representatives hold the right to vote in Indirect Elections. 4. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected directly, while members of the Rajya Sabha are elected indirectly.

IV. Thinking Skills

1. Suppose the Class Representative of your class is to be elected by means of single transferable vote through secret ballot. Write down the steps for election starting from filling the forms by those who want to stand for election till the final selection is made.
Answer: 1. Interested students fill out and file their nomination forms. 2. The teacher conducts a scrutiny of the nominations and announces the final list of candidates. 3. Secret ballot papers are prepared with the names of the candidates. 4. On voting day, students confidentially cast their votes by ranking the candidates in order of their preference (1, 2, 3, etc.). 5. The votes are counted based on a required minimum quota. 6. Candidates with the lowest first-preference votes are eliminated, and their votes are transferred to the next preferred candidates until someone secures the required quota. 7. The winning student is officially declared the Class Representative.

2. If you have to bring certain reforms in the system of elections to Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha in States, which ones would you like to introduce and why?
Answer: I would introduce strict, transparent digital monitoring of all election expenses by candidates to curb the excessive influence of money in politics. Furthermore, I would enforce harsher, immediate penalties and lifetime bans for malpractices such as booth capturing or voter intimidation to ensure that the electoral process remains completely free, fair, and truly representative of the people's will.

3. Find out the changes in the pattern of elections in India from the first General Election in India to the last one held in 2024, in terms of the time period, number of constituencies, total number of voters, voter turnout, mode of elections, participation of women as candidates and as voters and other related aspects.
Answer: India's first General Election in 1951-1952 was conducted over four months in 68 phases using physical ballot boxes. By the 2024 elections, the process became heavily streamlined and modernized with the widespread use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Photo Identity Cards. Over these decades, the total number of voters (the electorate) and constituencies expanded drastically. Voter turnout has witnessed a substantial increase, and the active participation of women—both as confident voters and competitive candidates—has significantly improved, reflecting a more inclusive and technologically advanced democracy.