Civics: Chapter 5- Universal Franchise and India's Electoral System

Universal Adult Franchise

The right of every adult citizen to vote in democratic elections regardless of caste, creed, race, religion, gender, education, income, etc.

Constituency

An area whose voters elect a representative to a legislative body.

Percentage of Indians allowed to vote before independence

13% as franchise was not universal.

Women Suffrage Movement

Initiated by women to secure voting rights and spread equality across the world. India was one of the few nations to grant women voting rights from the beginning. Switzerland granted in 1971.

Uttaramerur Inscriptions

Describe a transparent process for the selection of representatives from the 10th century.

ECI

Election Commission of India, headed by the Chief Election Commissioner and two election commissioners, established in 1950.

Chief Electoral Officer

Heads ECI at State/UTI level.

District Election Officer

Heads ECI at District level, is split into Returning Officer (RO) (Conducts elections) and Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) (manages voters list).

Functions of ECI

Setting election dates, registering political parties, enforcing the model code of conduct, and overseeing the entire electoral process.

Reservations in the Lok Sabha (constituency-wise)

84 for SC, 47 for ST.

Model Code of Conduct (MCC)

Ensures that political parties, leaders, and candidates adhere to certain rules to ensure free and fair elections. Adopted in Kerala in 1960, voluntarily approved by representatives of major political parties. Circulated to political parties during the 1962 general elections, was implemented proactively by ECI from 1991.

“First-Past-the-Post” electoral system

Candidates win solely by securing more votes than others, even if they haven’t secured more than 50%. Used in elections to the state assemblies.

Coalition

A group of two or more parties working together by combining their votes in order to secure more than 50% of total votes.

Single Transferable Voting system

Candidates are voted by preference. Used in elections to the Rajya Sabha by the MLAs who vote in these elections.

Nominated and Elected members of the Rajya Sabha

245 total members, 233 members elected by MLAs, and 12 nominated by the President of India.

President of India

Elected by an electoral college (consisting of MPs (except the nominated ones) and MLAs from states and UTs of Delhi and Puducherry (except the nominated ones and MLCs. ))

Vice President of India

Elected by an electoral college (All MPs including nominated AND elected). The chairperson of Rajya Sabha, and steps in situations where the President is NOT able to discharge their function.