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The NCERT Class 11 Political Science Chapter 3: Election and Representation from the textbook Indian Constitution at Work explores the electoral system in India, focusing on the principles of democratic representation, the role of the Election Commission, and the mechanisms like First Past the Post (FPTP) and reservation of constituencies. It discusses the significance of free and fair elections, the challenges of representation, and the rejection of systems like separate electorates. This section provides detailed solutions to the chapter’s exercise questions, offering clear explanations to help students understand complex electoral concepts and prepare for exams.
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Explore Notes of Class 11 Political Theory
NCERT Solutions Class 11 Indian Constitution at Work Chapter 3: Election and Representation
This section provides clear solutions for Class 11 Indian Constitution at Work Chapter 3: Election and Representation. The detailed explanations below help students understand the subject thoroughly.
Exercise
1. Which of the following resembles most a direct democracy?
a. Discussions in a family meeting
b. Election of the class monitor
c. Choice of a candidate by a political party
d. Decisions taken by the Gram Sabha
e. Opinion polls conducted by the media
2. Which of the following tasks are not performed by the Election Commission?
a. Preparing the Electoral Rolls
b. Nominating the candidates
c. Setting up polling booths
d. Implementing the model code of conduct
e. Supervising the Panchayat elections
3. Which of the following is common to the method of election of the members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha?
a. Every citizen above the age of 18 is an eligible voter
b. Voter can give preference order for different candidates
c. Every vote has equal value
d. The winner must get more than half the votes
4. In the First Past the Post system, that candidate is declared winner who
a. Secures the largest number of postal ballots
b. Belongs to the party that has highest number of votes in the
country
c. Has more votes than any other candidate in the constituency
d. Attains first position by securing more than 50% votes
5. What is the difference between the system of reservation of constituencies and the system of separate electorate? Why did the Constitution makers reject the latter?
6. Which of the following statements are incorrect? Identify and correct them by substituting, adding or rearranging only one word or phrase.
a. FPTP system is followed for all the elections in India.
b. Election Commission does not supervise Panchayat and Municipal elections.
c. President of India cannot remove an Election Commissioner.
d. Appointment of more than one Election Commissioner in the Election Commission is mandatory.
7. Indian electoral system aims at ensuring representation of socially disadvantaged sections. However we have only 12 per cent women members in our legislatures. What measures would you suggest to improve the situation?
8. Here are some wishes expressed in a conference to discuss a constitution for a new country. Write against each of these whether FPTP or Proportional Representation system is more suited to meet each of these wishes.
a. People should clearly know who is their representative so that they can hold him or her personally accountable.
b. We have small linguistic minorities who are spread all over the country; we should ensure fair representation to them.
c. There should be no discrepancy between votes and seats for different parties.
d. People should be able to elect a good candidate even if they do not like his or her political party.
9. A former Chief Election Commissioner joined a political party and contested elections. There are various views on this issue. One view is that a former Election Commissioner is an independent citizen and has a right to join any political party and to contest election. According to the other view, leaving this possibility open can affect the impartiality of the Election Commission. So, former Election Commissioners must not be allowed to contest any elections. Which position do you agree with and why?
10. “Indian democracy is now ready to shift from a crude First Past the Post system to a system of Proportional Representation”. Do you agree with this statement? Give your reasons for or against this statement.
Also Read:
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Solutions:
1. To determine which option resembles direct democracy, we need to understand that direct democracy involves citizens directly participating in decision-making without intermediaries. Let’s evaluate each option:
a) Discussions in a family meeting: Family discussions involve direct participation, but they are informal and not structured as a democratic process with binding decisions.
b) Election of the class monitor: This is a representative process where students vote to choose a monitor, resembling indirect democracy.
c) Choice of a candidate by a political party: This is an internal party decision, often made by leaders, not a broad participatory process.
d) Decisions taken by the Gram Sabha: The Gram Sabha involves all eligible voters in a village directly making decisions on local issues, closely resembling direct democracy as per the 73rd Amendment.
e) Opinion polls conducted by the media: These reflect opinions but do not involve binding decision-making.
Answer: d) Decisions taken by the Gram Sabha
2. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is responsible for conducting free and fair elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, state legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President. Let’s evaluate each task:
a) Preparing the Electoral Rolls: The ECI prepares and updates electoral rolls, a core function.
b) Nominating the candidates: The ECI does not nominate candidates; political parties or individuals do so.
c) Setting up polling booths: The ECI organizes polling booths to facilitate voting.
d) Implementing the model code of conduct: The ECI enforces the model code to ensure fair elections.
e) Supervising the Panchayat elections: The ECI does not supervise Panchayat elections; these are managed by State Election Commissions (Article 243K).
Answer: b) Nominating the candidates; e) Supervising the Panchayat elections
3. Let’s compare the election processes for Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha:
- Lok Sabha: Elected by universal adult suffrage (citizens above 18) using the First Past the Post (FPTP) system, where the candidate with the most votes wins.
- Rajya Sabha: Elected by state legislative assembly members using proportional representation by single transferable vote (PR-STV).
a) Every citizen above the age of 18 is an eligible voter: Incorrect. Only Lok Sabha elections involve universal adult suffrage; Rajya Sabha voters are elected representatives.
b) Voter can give preference order for different candidates: Incorrect. This applies to Rajya Sabha (PR-STV) but not Lok Sabha (FPTP).
c) Every vote has equal value: Correct. In both systems, votes are weighted equally within their respective electorates (citizens for Lok Sabha, MLAs for Rajya Sabha).
d) The winner must get more than half the votes: Incorrect. Lok Sabha uses FPTP (most votes win), and Rajya Sabha uses PR-STV (quota-based).
Answer: c) Every vote has equal value
4. The First Past the Post (FPTP) system, used for Lok Sabha and state assembly elections in India, awards victory to the candidate with the highest number of votes in a constituency, regardless of a majority. Let’s evaluate:
a) Secures the largest number of postal ballots: Incorrect. Postal ballots are just one mode of voting; total votes count.
b) Belongs to the party that has highest number of votes in the country: Incorrect. FPTP is constituency-based, not nationwide.
c) Has more votes than any other candidate in the constituency: Correct. The candidate with the most votes in their constituency wins, even without a majority.
d) Attains first position by securing more than 50% votes: Incorrect. FPTP does not require a majority, only a plurality.
Answer: c) Has more votes than any other candidate in the constituency
5. Reservation of Constituencies: In this system, certain constituencies are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), where only candidates from these groups can contest, but all voters in the constituency (regardless of community) can vote. This ensures representation of marginalised groups while maintaining universal suffrage (Article 330, 332).
Separate Electorate: In this system, only voters from a specific community (e.g., religious or caste-based) can vote for candidates from that community in designated constituencies. This was practiced under colonial rule (e.g., 1909 Indian Councils Act).
Differences:
- Voter Base: Reservation allows all voters to participate, promoting inclusivity; separate electorates restrict voting to specific communities, creating divisions.
- Purpose: Reservation ensures representation without segregating voters; separate electorates emphasize community-specific representation, potentially deepening social divides.
- Outcome: Reservation integrates marginalized groups into the broader electorate; separate electorates fragment the electorate along communal lines.
Why Constitution Makers Rejected Separate Electorates:
- Promotes National Unity: Separate electorates, as seen in colonial India, fostered communal divisions (e.g., Hindu-Muslim electorates), undermining national integration. The Constitution makers aimed for a unified electorate to strengthen democracy.
- Avoids Communalism: Leaders like Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Sardar Patel rejected separate electorates because they entrenched religious or caste identities, risking social cohesion.
- Ensures Inclusive Representation: Reservation of constituencies was preferred to ensure SC/ST representation without isolating communities, aligning with the secular and egalitarian principles of the Constitution.
6. Let’s evaluate each statement:
a) FPTP system is followed for all the elections in India: Incorrect. The FPTP system is used for Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, but Rajya Sabha and presidential elections use proportional representation (PR-STV).
Correction: FPTP system is followed for most elections in India.
b) Election Commission does not supervise Panchayat and Municipal elections:
Correct. The ECI does not supervise these; State Election Commissions do (Article 243K). No correction needed.
c) The President of India cannot remove an Election Commissioner: Incorrect. The President can remove an Election Commissioner on the recommendation of the Chief Election Commissioner for specified reasons (Article 324(5)).
Correction: The President of India can remove an Election Commissioner.
d) Appointment of more than one Election Commissioner in the Election Commission is mandatory: Incorrect. The Constitution allows the President to appoint one Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners as needed, but it is not mandatory (Article 324).
Correction: Appointment of more than one Election Commissioner in the Election Commission is optional.
Answer:
a) Incorrect. Correction: FPTP system is followed for most elections in India.
b) Correct.
c) Incorrect. Correction: President of India can remove an Election Commissioner.
d) Incorrect. Correction: Appointment of more than one Election Commissioner in the Election Commission is optional.
7. The Indian electoral system reserves seats for SCs and STs (Articles 330, 332) to ensure representation of disadvantaged sections, but no such reservation exists for women, resulting in only 12% of women in legislatures. To improve women’s representation, the following measures can be suggested:
- Reservation of Seats for Women: Introduce a constitutional amendment (e.g., the Women’s Reservation Bill) to reserve 33% of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women, ensuring greater participation.
- Encouraging Political Parties: Mandate parties to nominate a minimum percentage (e.g., 33%) of women candidates in elections, incentivized by policy or funding benefits.
- Awareness and Training: Conduct campaigns and training programs to encourage women’s political participation, addressing social barriers like patriarchy.
- Strengthening Local Representation: Ensure effective implementation of 33% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions (Article 243D), building a pipeline for national-level leadership.
- Electoral Reforms: Promote proportional representation in some constituencies to increase women’s chances, as FPTP often favours established candidates.
These measures align with the constitutional goal of equality (Article 14) and would enhance democratic representation.
8. Let’s evaluate each wish:
a) People should clearly know who is their representative so that they can hold him or her personally accountable: FPTP. In the First Past the Post system, each constituency elects a single representative, creating a clear link between voters and their MP/MLA, ensuring accountability.
b) We have small linguistic minorities who are spread all over the country; we should ensure fair representation to them: Proportional Representation (PR). PR allocates seats based on vote share, ensuring that dispersed minorities can secure representation proportional to their population, unlike FPTP, which favors concentrated groups.
c) There should be no discrepancy between votes and seats for different parties: Proportional Representation (PR). PR ensures that parties receive seats in proportion to their vote share, minimizing discrepancies, whereas FPTP can result in parties winning more seats with fewer votes.
d) People should be able to elect a good candidate even if they do not like his or her political party: Proportional Representation (PR) with single transferable vote. PR-STV allows voters to rank candidates by preference, enabling them to choose individuals based on merit rather than party affiliation, unlike FPTP’s party-driven focus.
9. I agree with the second view: former Election Commissioners should not be allowed to contest elections to safeguard the impartiality of the Election Commission.
Reasons:
- Perceived Bias: If former Election Commissioners join political parties and contest elections, it may create public perceptions that they were biased during their tenure, undermining the ECI’s credibility as a neutral body (Article 324).
- Potential Influence: The possibility of post-tenure political involvement could influence serving Commissioners’ decisions, consciously or unconsciously, to favor certain parties.
- Precedent of Neutrality: Other constitutional bodies (e.g., judiciary) impose restrictions on post-retirement roles to maintain impartiality. A similar cooling-off period (e.g., 2–5 years) could be mandated for Election Commissioners to prevent immediate political affiliation.
Counter-Argument: The first view argues that former Commissioners, as citizens, have the right to freedom of association and political participation (Article 19). However, this right can be reasonably restricted (Article 19(2)) to protect public trust in the ECI, a cornerstone of democratic integrity.
10. I partially disagree with the statement that Indian democracy is ready to shift entirely from FPTP to Proportional Representation (PR), though PR has merits.
Reasons Against Complete Shift:
- Simplicity and Familiarity: FPTP is simple, widely understood, and ensures a clear voter-representative link, vital in India’s diverse and large electorate. Shifting to PR could confuse voters and disrupt established electoral practices.
- Stability: FPTP often produces stable governments with clear majorities, whereas PR can lead to coalition governments, potentially causing political instability in India’s complex political landscape.
- Implementation Challenges: India’s vast population and diverse constituencies make PR logistically challenging, requiring complex vote calculations and larger constituencies.
Reasons for Partial Adoption:
- Fair Representation: PR could address FPTP’s flaw of vote-seat discrepancies, ensuring better representation for smaller parties and minorities (e.g., linguistic groups).
- Inclusivity: PR could enhance representation for women and marginalized groups, addressing the 12% women’s representation issue.
- Hybrid Possibility: A mixed system (e.g., Germany’s) combining FPTP for constituencies and PR for additional seats could balance stability and fairness.
Download NCERT Solutions Class 11 Political Science Indian Constitution at Work Chapter 3: Election and Representation
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