Short Questions
1. On which date was the Election Commission of India (ECI) established?
Answer: The Election Commission of India was established on 25 January 1950.
2. Which Articles of the Constitution deal with the Election Commission of India?
Answer: Articles 324 to 329 deal with the Election Commission of India.
3. Who supervises election work at the State level?
Answer: The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) supervises election work at the State level.
4. What is an electoral roll?
Answer: An electoral roll is the official list of eligible voters of a constituency.
5. What is the purpose of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)?
Answer: It updates, verifies, and corrects the electoral rolls.
6. At what age does a citizen become eligible to vote?
Answer: A citizen becomes eligible to vote at 18 years of age.
7. What does ETPBS stand for?
Answer: ETPBS stands for Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System.
8. Who can use the ETPBS?
Answer: Service voters can use the ETPBS.
9. Why does the ECI consider the agricultural cycle while fixing election dates?
Answer: To ensure that elections do not disturb farming activities.
10. Can independent candidates contest elections?
Answer: Yes, independent candidates can contest elections.
11. What does the ECI do if there is a dispute over election symbols?
Answer: The ECI acts as a quasi-judicial body to settle such disputes.
12. When is National Voters’ Day celebrated?
Answer: National Voters’ Day is celebrated on 25 January every year.
13. What is the purpose of the Voter Helpline App?
Answer: It provides voter registration and election-related services and information.
14. Which app allows voters to report Model Code of Conduct violations?
Answer: The cVIGIL App allows voters to report election violations.
15. What is the main aim of the Saksham App?
Answer: It helps persons with disabilities register and participate in voting easily.
Long Questions
1. Explain the role of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Answer: The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional body established on 25 January 1950. It conducts elections for the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislatures, the President, and the Vice President. It also prepares electoral rolls, registers political parties, conducts elections, and ensures that elections are free and fair.
2. Explain how the ECI prepares the electoral roll.
Answer: The ECI sends officials to collect information about eligible voters. It prepares polling station-wise electoral rolls, updates them through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), adds new eligible voters, removes the names of deceased or duplicate voters, considers objections, and then publishes the final electoral roll.
3. How does the ECI decide the election schedule?
Answer: The ECI announces elections after the term of the legislature ends or when it is dissolved. While fixing the schedule, it considers weather conditions, agricultural activities, school and university examinations, and festivals so that elections can be conducted smoothly across the country.
4. Explain the role of the ECI in registering political parties.
Answer: The ECI registers political parties and allows only registered parties to contest elections. It classifies them as national parties, state parties, or registered unrecognised parties. It also allots election symbols and settles disputes related to party recognition and symbols.
5. How does the ECI make elections inclusive?
Answer: The ECI has introduced many measures to help all eligible citizens vote. It provides facilities for persons with disabilities, senior citizens, transgender persons, and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups. It also introduced home voting for eligible senior citizens and persons with benchmark disabilities during the 2024 General Elections.
6. Explain the importance of digital technology in elections.
Answer: The ECI uses digital platforms such as the Voter Helpline App, cVIGIL, ERONET, Sugam, Suvidha, and Saksham App. These platforms help in voter registration, reporting election violations, managing election work, providing services to candidates, and assisting persons with disabilities.
7. Why are political parties important in a democracy?
Answer: Political parties organise public opinion, contest elections, present policies and programmes, help voters make informed choices, form governments, ensure accountability, and represent the interests of the people. They play an important role in making democracy work effectively.
8. What is defection? Explain the Anti-Defection Law.
Answer: Defection means leaving the political party on whose ticket a person was elected or voting against the party’s directions. The Anti-Defection Law was passed in 1985 through the 52nd Constitutional Amendment to prevent such defections and provide stability to elected governments. Members may be disqualified by the Speaker or Chairman if they violate the law.
9. Explain the recognition of national and state political parties.
Answer: The Election Commission recognises political parties based on their election performance. A party can become a national or state party if it fulfils the prescribed conditions related to vote share and seats won. Parties that do not meet these conditions are treated as Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs).
10. What challenges to free and fair elections are mentioned in the chapter? How does the ECI address them?
Answer: The chapter mentions challenges such as misinformation, fake news, and intimidation. The ECI addresses these challenges through the Representation of the People Acts (1950 and 1951), the Model Code of Conduct, EVMs, VVPAT, voter awareness campaigns, and continuous monitoring to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections.
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