Elections and Election Commission Questions and Answers

Q: Which among the following bodies conducts the elections to the Municipalities ?

Municipal elections are conducted by the State Election Commission.Article 243ZA, added by the 74th Amendment, vests the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of all elections to the Municipalities in the State Election Commission set up under Article 243K, the same body that conducts panchayat elections.The Election Commission of India conducts elections to Parliament, the state legislatures and the offices of President and Vice-President. The Chief Electoral Officer and District Electoral Officers are its officers in the states and districts.

Q: As per the Indian Constitution, the essential qualifications to become a Chief Election Commissioner are:

The answer is None of the above.Article 324, which creates the Election Commission, prescribes no qualifications for the Chief Election Commissioner. The Constitution leaves appointment to the President, and the tenure and conditions are fixed by law.In practice CECs have often been senior civil servants, but service in the IAS is not a constitutional requirement. A minimum age of thirty-five is a qualification for the President, and the Constitution lays down neither an age nor years of legal practice for the CEC.

Q: When were the Eighth General Elections held ?

The Eighth General Elections were held in December, 1984.After the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 31 October 1984, Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister and the Lok Sabha was dissolved early. Polling for the eighth Lok Sabha took place on 24, 27 and 28 December 1984 (elections in Assam and Punjab were held later, in 1985). The Congress won more than 400 seats, its largest ever majority.October 1984 is the month of the assassination, not the election; November was the run-up to polling; and February 1984 was before the Lok Sabha was dissolved at all.

Q: In which Constitutional Amendment is voter age mentioned as 18 years ?

The voting age was lowered to 18 years by the 61st Constitutional Amendment.The Constitution (Sixty-first Amendment) Act, 1988, which came into force in March 1989, amended Article 326 to reduce the minimum age for voting in elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies from 21 years to 18 years.The other amendments deal with different subjects. The 73rd Amendment (1992) created the constitutional framework for Panchayati Raj, the 68th extended President's Rule in Punjab, and the 63rd repealed the Emergency provisions earlier added for Punjab. None of them changed the voting age.

Q: Who conducts the elections in the District Administration ?

Elections in a district are conducted by the District Election Officer.Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Election Commission designates an officer of the state government, usually the Collector or District Magistrate, as the District Election Officer. Under the supervision of the Chief Electoral Officer of the state, this officer coordinates the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of all elections in the district.A development administration officer handles development schemes, a cultural officer cultural programmes, and the army has no role in conducting elections, though armed forces may be deployed for security.

Q: For election to the Lok Sabha, a nomination paper can be filed by

A nomination can be filed by a citizen of India of 30 years of age.Under Article 84 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, 1951, a candidate for the Lok Sabha must be a citizen of India, at least 25 years old, and registered as an elector in some parliamentary constituency. A 30-year-old citizen meets the age condition, so this option describes an eligible person.Mere residence in India is not enough without citizenship. A candidate need not live in the constituency he contests. And age below 30 is not a qualification in itself, while an NRI must still meet the citizenship and electoral-roll conditions.

Q: 'Right to Vote' in India is a

The keyed answer is Legal Right.Article 326 of the Constitution provides for elections on the basis of adult suffrage, but the right to vote itself is conferred and regulated by the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The Supreme Court held in Jyoti Basu v. Debi Ghosal (1982) that the right to elect is neither a fundamental right nor a common law right but purely a statutory one, which is why it is classed as a legal right.It is not among the Fundamental Rights in Part III, and 'natural right' is a philosophical category, not its legal status. 'Constitutional right' is the tempting distractor because of Article 326, but the right itself rests on statute.

Q: Which of the following is not the essential condition for a political party to be recognized as a national party ?

The statement that is not a condition is recognition as a State Party in at least two States.Under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, a party is recognised as a national party if it meets any one of three tests: it polls at least six percent of the valid votes in four or more States in a Lok Sabha or Assembly election and also wins at least four Lok Sabha seats; or it wins at least two percent of the Lok Sabha seats from at least three States; or it is recognised as a State party in four States.The other options are parts of these tests: six percent in four States and four elected members together form the first, and two percent of seats from three States is the second. 'At least two States' falls short of the four the rule requires.

Q: Which of the following is not a provision of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 ?

The provision not found in the 1950 Act is Qualifications and disqualifications for membership of Parliament and State Legislatures.The Representation of the People Act, 1950 deals with the preliminaries of elections: allocation of seats in the Lok Sabha, Legislative Assemblies and Legislative Councils, delimitation of constituencies, local authorities that elect members to Legislative Councils, and the preparation of electoral rolls.Qualifications and disqualifications for membership, along with the conduct of elections, corrupt practices and election disputes, are in the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The other three options are all subjects of the 1950 Act.

Q: In context of elections, consider the following statements regarding VVPAT :1. It stands for Visible Voting Paper for Adding Transparency.2. When a vote is cast, a slip is printed and remains exposed through a transparent window for seven seconds, showing the serial number, name and symbol for the candidate.3. VVPATs were first used in a bye-election in Nagaland in 2013.Which of the above statements is/are correct ?

Statements 2 and 3 are correct, so the answer is 2 and 3 Only.When a vote is cast on an EVM, the VVPAT prints a slip showing the serial number, name and symbol of the chosen candidate, which stays visible behind a transparent window for seven seconds before dropping into a sealed box. VVPATs were first used in the Noksen assembly by-election in Nagaland in September 2013.Statement 1 is wrong: VVPAT stands for Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail.

Which among the following bodies conducts the elections to the Municipalities ?

A.Election Commission of India
B.Chief Electoral Officer of the State
C.District Electoral Officer
D.State Election Commission

Exam Year(s)

CBSE Assistant Secretary - 2024,

Answer: D

Municipal elections are conducted by the State Election Commission.

Article 243ZA, added by the 74th Amendment, vests the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of all elections to the Municipalities in the State Election Commission set up under Article 243K, the same body that conducts panchayat elections.

The Election Commission of India conducts elections to Parliament, the state legislatures and the offices of President and Vice-President. The Chief Electoral Officer and District Electoral Officers are its officers in the states and districts.

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As per the Indian Constitution, the essential qualifications to become a Chief Election Commissioner are:

A.Should have been in Indian Administrative Service.
B.Should have completed thirty five years of age.
C.Should have practised law for not less than five years in any High Court.
D.None of the above.

Exam Year(s)

Kerala PSC KAS - 2020,

Answer: D

The answer is None of the above.

Article 324, which creates the Election Commission, prescribes no qualifications for the Chief Election Commissioner. The Constitution leaves appointment to the President, and the tenure and conditions are fixed by law.

In practice CECs have often been senior civil servants, but service in the IAS is not a constitutional requirement. A minimum age of thirty-five is a qualification for the President, and the Constitution lays down neither an age nor years of legal practice for the CEC.

Discuss in Forum

When were the Eighth General Elections held ?

A.November, 1984
B.October, 1984
C.December, 1984
D.February, 1984

Exam Year(s)

MPPSC Forest Service - 2023,

Answer: C

The Eighth General Elections were held in December, 1984.

After the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 31 October 1984, Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister and the Lok Sabha was dissolved early. Polling for the eighth Lok Sabha took place on 24, 27 and 28 December 1984 (elections in Assam and Punjab were held later, in 1985). The Congress won more than 400 seats, its largest ever majority.

October 1984 is the month of the assassination, not the election; November was the run-up to polling; and February 1984 was before the Lok Sabha was dissolved at all.

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In which Constitutional Amendment is voter age mentioned as 18 years ?

A.68th
B.61st
C.63rd
D.73rd

Exam Year(s)

MPPSC Forest Service - 2023,

Answer: B

The voting age was lowered to 18 years by the 61st Constitutional Amendment.

The Constitution (Sixty-first Amendment) Act, 1988, which came into force in March 1989, amended Article 326 to reduce the minimum age for voting in elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies from 21 years to 18 years.

The other amendments deal with different subjects. The 73rd Amendment (1992) created the constitutional framework for Panchayati Raj, the 68th extended President's Rule in Punjab, and the 63rd repealed the Emergency provisions earlier added for Punjab. None of them changed the voting age.

Discuss in Forum

Who conducts the elections in the District Administration ?

A.Development Administration Officer
B.Cultural Officer
C.Army Officer
D.District Election Officer

Exam Year(s)

MPPSC Forest Service - 2023,

Answer: D

Elections in a district are conducted by the District Election Officer.

Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Election Commission designates an officer of the state government, usually the Collector or District Magistrate, as the District Election Officer. Under the supervision of the Chief Electoral Officer of the state, this officer coordinates the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of all elections in the district.

A development administration officer handles development schemes, a cultural officer cultural programmes, and the army has no role in conducting elections, though armed forces may be deployed for security.

Discuss in Forum

For election to the Lok Sabha, a nomination paper can be filed by

A.anyone residing in India
B.a resident of the constituency from which the election is to be contested
C.non-resident Indian below 30 years of age
D.citizen of India of 30 years of age

Exam Year(s)

MPPSC State Service - 2018,

Answer: D

A nomination can be filed by a citizen of India of 30 years of age.

Under Article 84 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, 1951, a candidate for the Lok Sabha must be a citizen of India, at least 25 years old, and registered as an elector in some parliamentary constituency. A 30-year-old citizen meets the age condition, so this option describes an eligible person.

Mere residence in India is not enough without citizenship. A candidate need not live in the constituency he contests. And age below 30 is not a qualification in itself, while an NRI must still meet the citizenship and electoral-roll conditions.

Discuss in Forum

'Right to Vote' in India is a

A.Fundamental Right
B.Natural Right
C.Constitutional Right
D.Legal Right

Exam Year(s)

MPPSC State Service - 2018,

Answer: D

The keyed answer is Legal Right.

Article 326 of the Constitution provides for elections on the basis of adult suffrage, but the right to vote itself is conferred and regulated by the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The Supreme Court held in Jyoti Basu v. Debi Ghosal (1982) that the right to elect is neither a fundamental right nor a common law right but purely a statutory one, which is why it is classed as a legal right.

It is not among the Fundamental Rights in Part III, and 'natural right' is a philosophical category, not its legal status. 'Constitutional right' is the tempting distractor because of Article 326, but the right itself rests on statute.

Discuss in Forum

Which of the following is not the essential condition for a political party to be recognized as a national party ?

A.If a party gets six percent of the total valid votes polled in the election for Lok Sabha in four or more States.
B.If a party sends four elected members to the Lok Sabha.
C.If a party gets two percent of the total number of seats in Lok Sabha from not less than three States.
D.If a party is recognized as a State Party in at least two States.

Exam Year(s)

Punjab Civil Service - 2018,

Answer: D

The statement that is not a condition is recognition as a State Party in at least two States.

Under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, a party is recognised as a national party if it meets any one of three tests: it polls at least six percent of the valid votes in four or more States in a Lok Sabha or Assembly election and also wins at least four Lok Sabha seats; or it wins at least two percent of the Lok Sabha seats from at least three States; or it is recognised as a State party in four States.

The other options are parts of these tests: six percent in four States and four elected members together form the first, and two percent of seats from three States is the second. 'At least two States' falls short of the four the rule requires.

Discuss in Forum

Which of the following is not a provision of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 ?

A.Qualifications and disqualifications for membership of Parliament and State Legislatures
B.Allocation of seats in the House of the People, the State Legislative Assemblies and the State Legislative Councils
C.Delimitation of Parliamentary, Assembly Constituencies
D.Local authorities for purposes of elections to the State Legislative Councils

Exam Year(s)

Punjab Civil Service - 2021,

Answer: A

The provision not found in the 1950 Act is Qualifications and disqualifications for membership of Parliament and State Legislatures.

The Representation of the People Act, 1950 deals with the preliminaries of elections: allocation of seats in the Lok Sabha, Legislative Assemblies and Legislative Councils, delimitation of constituencies, local authorities that elect members to Legislative Councils, and the preparation of electoral rolls.

Qualifications and disqualifications for membership, along with the conduct of elections, corrupt practices and election disputes, are in the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The other three options are all subjects of the 1950 Act.

Discuss in Forum

10.

In context of elections, consider the following statements regarding VVPAT :

1. It stands for Visible Voting Paper for Adding Transparency.
2. When a vote is cast, a slip is printed and remains exposed through a transparent window for seven seconds, showing the serial number, name and symbol for the candidate.
3. VVPATs were first used in a bye-election in Nagaland in 2013.

Which of the above statements is/are correct ?

A.1 and 2 only
B.2 only
C.2 and 3 Only
D.1 and 3 only

Exam Year(s)

Punjab Civil Service - 2025,

Answer: C

Statements 2 and 3 are correct, so the answer is 2 and 3 Only.

When a vote is cast on an EVM, the VVPAT prints a slip showing the serial number, name and symbol of the chosen candidate, which stays visible behind a transparent window for seven seconds before dropping into a sealed box. VVPATs were first used in the Noksen assembly by-election in Nagaland in September 2013.

Statement 1 is wrong: VVPAT stands for Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail.

Discuss in Forum

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