NCERT Solutions For Class 11 Political Science Chapter 5 Election and Representation

(c) Has more votes than any other candidate in the constituency.

(c) Every vote has equal value

Nominating the candidates and Supervising the Panchayat elections (Done by state election commission) tasks are not performed by the Election Commission.

Election of the class monitor and decisions taken by the Gram Sabha resembles decision making of direct democracy.

The former Election Commissioner is an independent citizen and has a right to join any political party and to contest an election. After leaving the post of election commissioner, he/she became an ordinary citizen and just like any citizen he/she has all rights which citizens have. She/he has no responsibility of conducting fair election so they can be a part of the election as it is their right.
Another View

The Ex. Home Minister and also former Deputy Prime Minister of India L.K. Advani gave concrete suggestions for the reform of EC. He suggested that the retired members of the EC should not be offered any appointment. He felt that the neutrality of the members of the EC can be maintained and their credibility can be enhanced. Rules must be made to keep the officials of election commission out of active politics at least for five years of their retirement. If election commission officials are allowed to contest elections after retirement they will favour one particular group or party during their tenure as an official to secure party ticket after retirement.

People have faith in election commission to conduct free and fair election, if this faith is broken, people might not participate in voting. Faith of every citizen in the democratic norms of our country must be respected. After retirement  honest and talented election commissioner can be given opportunity to run NGO.

   The percent of women members would improve through the following measures:

• Using proportional representation system, we can ensure the proper representation of women in legislature according to their percentage in population.
• Also, we can have reserved constituencies from which seat is reserved for women which ensure proper representation of women.
• Some European countries have voluntary political party quotas that encourage and ensure women’s participation in the political process. Similarly, India needs to implement Political party quota for women.

In system of reservation of constituencies, all voters in a constituency are eligible to vote but the candidates must belong to only a particular community or social section for which the seat is reserved whereas in the system of separate electorate, for electing a representative from a particular community, only those voters would be eligible who belong to that community.
The constitution-makers rejected the system of the separate electorate because it went against their purpose of unity, secularism and a state that is free from discrimination.

 

a. Incorrect. FPTP system is followed for Panchayats, Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha elections.

b.Correct. State election commission supervise panchayat and Municipal elections.

c. Incorrect, President of India can remove an Election Commissioner if both houses of parliament make such recommendation with a special majority.

d. Incorrect. The Election Commission of India can either be a single member or a multi member body. But now there is a general consensus that a multi member election commission is more appropriate as power is shared and there is greater accountability.

Indian democracy is not yet ready to replace the First Past the Post system with Proportional Representation because

• Proportional representation system complicated system which would be difficult to work in a sub-continental country like India. First past the post system is the simplest system of counting votes and declaration of results.
• In the PR system, voters have only choice to choose a party and the representatives are elected on the basis of party lists. There is no representative for one locality which would be held accountable.
• India is a vast country with a large number of ethnic and social groups. The system of proportional representation has the propensity of multiplying parties and groups in the political system. Every group gets representation in proportion to its strength. Therefore small groups are formed on petty grounds or big parties are broken up into small parties frequently. This encourages divisive forces in the society and the unity of the nation is ultimately threatened.
• Under the list system of representation more importance is attached to the political parties and groups and the individual candidates have to depend upon them. There are no individual or independent candidates and they have to dance to the tune of the parties and the groups.
• Under the system of proportional representation, many representatives are elected from one constituency and in that case, no one feels responsible to the constituency and its voters. It is a fact that joint responsibility is no man’s responsibility.