Elections in Indian Society - Class IX

A press conference is a meeting, organized for the purposes of officially distributing information to the media. It involves the important guest of the press conference answering questions from reporters.

In a democratic setup, ruling party is the party or coalition of the majority in the House which administers the affairs of the state. It controls the executive branch of the government. As of 2016, BJP is the country's largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament.

In politics, all members others than the ruling party are called the opposition. It comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government. Official Opposition is a term used in India to designate the political party which has secured the largest number of seats in the Lok Sabha but is not a part of the ruling party or coalition.

AP - 42, TN - 39, Maharashtra - 48, Bihar - 40

A mid-term election refers to a type of election which held before the expiry of the full term of any house. Where the people can elect their representatives in the middle of the term of the executive or of another set of members.

Coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate. After $1977$ Lok Sabha election the system of one party emerging as dominant party came to an end.

An important function of the election commission of India is formation of constituencies by delimitation process of boundary commission according to Article $82$.

Bye elections are the elections which are conducted only is a particular constituencies or some constituencies either because of the sudden death of the elected representative at that seat or if he/she gets disqualified by some other reasons or has tendered resignation. 

The Sixty-first Amendment of the Constitution of India,1988, lowered the voting age of elections to the Lok Sabha and to the Legislative Assemblies of States from 21 years to 18 years. Hence, Option A is correct. The minimum age of voting did not change in rest of the years, hence, incorrect. 

Nomination paper is filed in person by each and every candidate contesting any election giving account of all true and detailed information in order to get status of legitimate candidacy.

Lobbying is the practice of persuasion in attempt to influence the actions. It is basically the practice of deceiving which the candidates resort to in order to win favour of the people and thus getting to power.

The electoral roll (also called an electoral register, voters roll or poll book) has a list of persons who are eligible to vote in a particular electoral constituency and who are registered to vote if required in a particular jurisdiction. Hence, Option A is correct. The rest of the qualifications are not fundamental for exercising the right to vote, hence, incorrect. 

An election is a formal group decision-making process by which the population chooses an individual to hold public office, that is, a representative of the people. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated since the 17th century. Hence, Option A is correct. The rest of the clauses are not the primary function of elections, hence, incorrect. 

Since the attainment of Independence in 1930, Mexico holds election after every 6 years to elect its President.

 In the election campaign, Devi Lal said that
if his party won the elections, the government would waive the loans of
farmers and small businessmen. He
promised that this would be the first action of his government.

Election campaigning can be understood as the advertisement or making people aware of a particular candidate by the candidate himself/herself. In campaigning candidates meet with the voters and persuade them to vote them or their party by asking them their problems, presenting before them their mode of work and convince them.

Electronic Voting is the standard means of conducting elections using Electronic Voting Machines, sometimes called "EVMs" in India. The use of EVMs and electronic voting was developed and tested by the state-owned Electronics Corporation of India and Bharat Electronics in the 1990s. They were introduced in Indian elections between 1998 and 2001, in a phased manner. The electronic voting machines have been used in all general and state assembly elections of India since 2004. Hence, Option A is correct. The rest of the options are not viable for vote counting, hence, incorrect. 

The
government has tried to give an Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) to every person on the voter's
list. The voters are required to carry
this card when they go out to vote so that no one can vote for someone
else. But the card is not yet
compulsory for voting. For voting,
the voters can show many other
proofs of identity like the ration card
or the driving license.

The Election Photo Identity card (EPIC) is a card given to every person on the voter's list which they can carry while casting their vote. 

The electoral roll (also called an electoral register, voters roll or poll book) is a list of persons who are eligible to vote in a particular electoral district and who are registered to vote if required in a particular jurisdiction. In India, publishing, and updating of the electoral roll is the responsibility of the election commission of India, each state's chief electoral officers, and each state's election commission. These government bodies update and publish the electoral roll every year, making it available for download from official government websites. Hence, Option A is correct. Among the rest of the options, none of the time-lapse occurs in updating, hence, incorrect. 

The large proportions of voters in India are poor, illiterate and underprivileged having no basic knowledge about their rights and freedom. It is the duty of the government to make sure that these people who form the major backbone of our democracy have access to their rights and proper governance and to work for the welfare of such people.

For Lok Sabha elections, the country
is divided into 543 constituencies.
The representative elected from each
constituency is called a Member of
Parliament or an MP. One of the
features of a democratic election is
that every vote should have equal
value. Each Parliamentary constituency has within it several
assemblies constituencies. The
same principle applies to Panchayat
and Municipal elections. Each
village or town is divided into several
‘wards’ that are like constituencies.

The US and its allies invaded Iraq in 2003 and removed the then-dictator Saddam Hossein from power occupied its territory and installed an interim government of Preference. Since then the elections were held under US occupation in the Iraq territory.

The General elections to the the Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Parliament) in India takes place after every five years since 1951 when first general elections of the independent India were held.

Reserved Constituencies are the constituencies in which people only belonging to the scheduled tribes and scheduled castes who can contest the election. In India, there are certain numbers of university positions and political positions are organized for specified groups of people including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women and so on. Hence, Option A is correct. The rest of the clauses do not fit in this definition, hence, incorrect. 

Elections are the essence of democracy because they allow people to exercise their fundamental power of voting to elect their rulers. It is the active participation of the people that makes democracy a great success.

The final stage of an election is the
day when the voters cast or ‘poll’
their vote. That day is usually called
the election day. Every person whose
name is on the voters’ list can go to
a nearby ‘polling booth’, situated
usually in a local school or a
government office. Thus, Polling Booth is a place where arrangements are made so people can cast their vote.

Amongst other qualifications that a person must be a citizen of  India and not otherwise qualified by Parliamentary law, the age for contesting elections to the Lok Sabha is 25 years or above.

In Mexico, since its independence in 1930, the elections to elect President are held after every five years.

The final stage of an election is the
day when the voters cast or ‘poll’
their vote. That day is usually called
the election day. Every person whose
name is on the voter's list can go to
a nearby ‘polling booth’, situated
usually in a local school or a
government office.

The most powerful organ of the State is National People's Congress (NPC) i.e., Chinese Parliament. It is made up of nearly 3000 delegates elected by China's provinces.

Zimbabwe attained independence
from White minority rule in 1980.
Since then the country has been
ruled by ZANU-PF, the party that led
the freedom struggle. Its leader,
Robert Mugabe has been ruling the country since independence.
Elections have been held regularly
and always won by ZANU-PF.
President Mugabe is popular but also
uses unfair practices in elections. He is known for regularly changing the constitution to increase his power to make the post of the president less accountable.  Opposition party
workers are harassed and their
meeting disrupted. Public protests
and demonstrations against the
government are declared illegal.

Since its independence in 1930,
Mexico holds elections after every six
years to elect its President. The
country has never been under a
military or dictator’s rule. But until
2000 every election was won by a party called PRI (Institutional
Revolutionary Party). Opposition
parties did contest elections but
never managed to win. The PRI was
known to use many dirty tricks to win
elections. All those who were
employed in government offices had
to attend its party meetings. Teachers
of government schools used to force
parents to vote for the PRI. The media largely ignored the activities of
opposition political parties except to
criticize them. Sometimes the polling
booths were shifted from one place
to another in the last minute, which
made it difficult for people to cast their
votes.

Since its independence in 1930, Mexico holds elections after every six years to elect its President. The country has never been under a military or dictator’s rule. But until 2000 every election was won by a party called PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party). Opposition parties did contest elections but never managed to win. The PRI was known to use many dirty tricks to win elections. All those who were employed in government offices had to attend its party meetings. Teachers of government schools used to force parents to vote for the PRI. The media largely ignored the activities of opposition political parties except to criticise them. Sometimes the polling booths were shifted from one place to another in the last minute, which made it difficult for people to cast their votes.

In China, elections are held after 5 years for electing the Country's Parliament. However, the dominance of a single party i.e., Chinese Communist Party gives fewer options to people there in choosing their representatives.

Eighth General elections were held in the year 1984.

These elections took place immediately after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister.

If the Lok Sabha or the Vidhan Sabha elections are held simultaneously in all the constituencies, then it is called General Elections. Earlier up to 1957 simultaneous elections were held for both the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies. However, on account of early dismissal and mid-term elections, the two gradually separated.

The general election to the 15th Lok Sabha brought cheers to the Indian National Congress, when the result of the elections were declared on May16, 2009. The Congress on its own won 206 seats, the BJP secured only 116.

The right to vote in India is based on political equality to all people and is founded on the principle of Universal Adult suffrage that is every citizen who is or above the age of 18 years has the right to vote and each vote has one value irrespective of any division.

Following are the real challenges to our electoral system -:

Rigging is the act of dishonestly organising an election to get a particular result. it is an electoral fraud and an interference with the election process. Some other malpractices are:

Inclusion of false names and exclusion of genuine names in the voters’ list;

Misuse of government facilities and officials by the ruling party; 

Excessive use of money by rich candidates and big parties.

India got independence in 1947 and adopted the constitution in November 1949. After the adoption of the constitution, constituent assembly started to work as an interim government. The interim cabinet was headed by J.L. Nehru. Later, from 25 October 1951 to 21 February 1952 first general elections were held. In this election, Indian National Congress got the victory. J.L. Nehru became the first democratically elected Prime Minister of India.

For contesting for Lok Sabha and assembly elections one should not be less than 25 years of age. As Sangeeta was born in 1987 so she is 24 years old for elections held in 2011. So, Sangeeta is eligible only for inclusion of her name in an electoral list.

A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government.

General elections are the election in which representatives are elected from different constituencies of the country to represent people in Parliament which held at regular intervals. In India, the general elections held after every Five years. Before 61st amendment to the Constitution the voting age was 21, at present it is 18years. Back in 1937, the voting rights are given discriminately while in Independent India the voting rights are given to all irrespective of status. Hence Basu qualifies the given criteria.

Indian parliament has two houses.

In 1892, Indian Council act 1892 was passed by the British parliament. Electoral principles were introduced in India by this act. This act was enacted to make limited and indirect provision for the use of election in filling up some of the non-official seats both for the central and provincial legislative council.

The voting age in India before 1988 (61st Constitutional Amendment Act) was 21 years. It was however reduced to 18 years in 1988. Hence Mr. Rajeev being less than 21 years of age was not eligible to vote in any election up to 1982.

By-elections are held with the purpose of filling the political office that stands vacated by any reason mostly resignation, death or incompetency. These elections held between general elections during the lifetime of Parliament. The provincial elections held in 1937 after the enactment of Government of India Act, 1935. The voting rights were given to about 10 percent of the total population which was based on tax, property, and education. 

General elections are the election in which representatives are elected from different constituencies of the country to represent people in Parliament which held at regular intervals. In India, the general elections held after every Five years. So far 16 general elections have held, first general elections were held in 1952 and the sixteenth in 2014. The upcoming general elections are to be held in 2019.

The elections are conducted by the Election Commission of India. All members of the Lok Sabha, except two who can be nominated by the President of India, are directly elected through general elections which take place every five years in normal circumstances by universal adult suffrage.

The Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India, is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs). Each represents a single geographic constituency. There are currently 543 constituencies. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of constituencies (80).

A democratic election requires that voters have a genuine right to choose, freedom of choice, and that the process is conducted in a free and fair manner.

As per the current constitutional provisions in India, 84 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes in the Lok Sabha. Since 79 is the closest provided option in some older textbooks, it is often marked as the answer in specific contexts, though the current number is 84.

To be a candidate in an election, a person must be a registered voter and meet the minimum age requirement, which is 25 years for Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections.

The official list of all persons eligible to vote in an election is formally referred to as the electoral roll or the voters' list.

The Indian general election of 2014 was held to constitute the 16th Lok Sabha, electing members of parliament for all 543 parliamentary constituencies of India. Running in nine phases from 7 April to 12 May 2014, it was the longest election in the country's history.

• India's first general elections, that elected the First Lok Sabha, were conducted in 1951-52.
  
• The Indian National congress (INC) won the elections and Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru became the first democratically elected Prime Minister of India.
  

Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency is the largest parliamentary constituency in India in term of the area with a total area of 173266.37 sq. km. Ladakh is situated in Jammu and Kashmir.  Second largest constituency in term of the area is Barmer that is situated in Rajasthan.

The Vice-President of India is the second highest constitutional office in the Indian Government after the President. Article 66 deals with the election of the Vice-President. He is elected indirectly by an electoral college consisting of all the elected members of both houses of the Parliament and holds office for a term of 5 years.

The maximum strength of Legislative Assembly is fixed at 500 members while that of Legislative council is fixed at one-third of the total strength of Assembly. All matters at any sitting of either House are decided by the majority of votes of members present and voting.

A
press conference is a meeting organised for the purpose of distributing
information to the media and answering questions from reporters. Soon
after the discussion in the assembly, there was a press conference
organised by the health minister. Large numbers of people from different
newspapers were present in the press conference. The minister explained the steps the government had
taken on a particular situation. This discussion was then reported in different newspapers,
which helped the public to know the work done by the government.

Chief Minister heads the executive wing of the legislative assembly. Discussion of issues takes place in press conferences and accordingly important government decisions and actions are communicated to the public. MLAs are the ministers of the legislative assembly. Governor is the head of the state as far as the executive power is concerned but he is a nominal head.

Elections to the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Parliament, Vidhan Parishads, Upper Houses of the State Legislatures  (existing only in a few states) and offices of the President and Vice-President are, however, conducted on the basis of proportional representation through a single transferable vote system. Hence, Option A is correct. The rest of the systems are not applicable to these elections, hence, incorrect. 

The Constitution itself provides that a person holding an office of the President shall be eligible for re-election as President after the expiry of the current term.