Extra 30 short questions and answers from the chapter "Election and Representation" for Class 11 Political Science.
1. What is an election?
Answer: An election is a process where citizens choose their representatives through voting. It is the foundation of a democratic government, ensuring political participation and accountability.
2. What is the Election Commission of India (ECI)?
Answer: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is an autonomous body responsible for conducting free and fair elections in the country. It is established under Article 324 of the Constitution.
3. What are the different types of elections held in India?
Answer:
General Elections
– Held every 5 years for Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
By-Elections
– Conducted when a seat becomes vacant.
Rajya Sabha Elections
– Held for electing members of the Rajya Sabha.
Local Elections
– Elections for Panchayats and Municipalities.
4. What is the minimum age to contest elections in India?
Answer:
Lok Sabha and State Assemblies:
25 years
Rajya Sabha:
30 years
President:
35 years
5. What is the universal adult franchise?
Answer: Universal adult franchise means that every citizen above 18 years of age has the right to vote irrespective of caste, religion, gender, or economic status.
6. What is the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system?
Answer: The FPTP system is a voting method where the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they do not secure a majority (more than 50%). This system is used in Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections.
7. What is Proportional Representation (PR)?
Answer: Proportional Representation is an electoral system where seats are allocated to political parties in proportion to the number of votes they receive. It is used for Rajya Sabha and Presidential elections in India.
8. How is the President of India elected?
Answer: The President is elected through Proportional Representation by Single Transferable Vote (STV) by an Electoral College consisting of MPs and MLAs.
9. How is the Vice President of India elected?
Answer: The Vice President is elected by both Houses of Parliament using the Proportional Representation by Single Transferable Vote (STV) system.
10. Who appoints the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)?
Answer: The President of India appoints the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other Election Commissioners.
11. How can the Chief Election Commissioner be removed?
Answer: The Chief Election Commissioner can be removed only through impeachment by Parliament, similar to a Supreme Court judge.
12. What is an electoral constituency?
Answer: An electoral constituency is a geographical area where voters elect a representative. India is divided into 543 Lok Sabha constituencies.
13. What is an electoral roll?
Answer: An electoral roll is a list of all eligible voters in a constituency, maintained by the Election Commission.
14. What is NOTA?
Answer: NOTA (None of the Above) allows voters to reject all candidates in an election. It was introduced in 2013 by the Supreme Court.
15. What is the role of a Returning Officer?
Answer: A Returning Officer supervises the election process in a constituency, including candidate nominations, vote counting, and result declaration.
16. What is meant by Model Code of Conduct?
Answer: The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections. It prohibits hate speeches, bribery, and misuse of government resources during elections.
17. What is Delimitation?
Answer: Delimitation is the process of redrawing electoral constituencies based on population changes. It is conducted by the Delimitation Commission.
18. How are Rajya Sabha members elected?
Answer: Rajya Sabha members are elected by MLAs of State Legislative Assemblies using Proportional Representation by Single Transferable Vote.
19. What is a reserved constituency?
Answer: A reserved constituency is an electoral seat reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) to ensure their political representation.
20. What is the significance of the 61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988?
Answer: The 61st Amendment Act reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 years, strengthening democratic participation.
21. What is the purpose of an Election Manifesto?
Answer: An election manifesto is a document released by political parties before elections, outlining their policies, promises, and vision for governance.
22. What are the powers of the Election Commission of India?
Answer:
Conducts
Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Assembly elections
.
Supervises
political parties and election campaigns
.
Implements the
Model Code of Conduct
.
23. What is a bye-election?
Answer: A bye-election is conducted when a seat becomes vacant before the completion of the term due to the death, resignation, or disqualification of a sitting member.
24. What is the tenure of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members?
Answer:
Lok Sabha members
serve for
5 years
.
Rajya Sabha members
serve for
6 years
, with
one-third members retiring every 2 years
.
25. How can a voter be disqualified from voting?
Answer:
A voter can be disqualified if they:
Are not an Indian citizen.
Are below 18 years of age.
Have been declared mentally unsound by a court.
26. How does money power influence elections?
Answer: Money power in elections leads to:
Unfair advantage for rich candidates.
Bribing voters and influencing results.
Illegal funding and corruption.
27. What is the function of the State Election Commission?
Answer: The State Election Commission conducts Panchayat and Municipal elections in each state.
28. What are independent candidates?
Answer: Independent candidates do not belong to any political party but contest elections on their own.
29. How are election results challenged in India?
Answer: Election results can be challenged in High Courts and the Supreme Court under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
30. How can electoral reforms improve the Indian election system?
Answer:
Stronger rules on election spending.
More transparency in political funding.
Compulsory voting (if feasible).
