Laxmikanth Test: Elections - UPSC MCQ

• The Constitution declares that the validity of any law relating to the delimitation of constituencies or the allotment of seats to such constituencies cannot be questioned in any court.
• Consequently, the orders issued by the Delimitation Commission become final and cannot be challenged in any court.

• The Delimitation commission or Boundary commission of India is a commission established by the Government of India under the provisions of the Delimitation Commission Act.
• The main task of the commission is redrawing the boundaries of the various assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies based on a recent census.

• The first-past-the-post electoral system, prevalent in India, refers to:
• An electoral system in which the person winning the most votes of the votes cast in a constituency (single ballot, single member) is declared elected.
• Under this system, a voter casts a vote for a candidate of their choice and the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they have less than 50% of the vote.
• This method is seen as beneficial because it often produces governments with a legislative voting majority, allowing them to implement their electoral manifesto commitments during their term in office.
• However, it is often criticized for failing to represent the popular vote in the number of parliamentary/legislative seats awarded to competing parties.
• It often creates “false majorities” by over-representing larger parties while under-representing smaller ones.
• It also wastes votes, as many votes cast for losing candidates and for winning candidates in excess of the number required for victory do not contribute to the outcome.

• Krishna Kumar Goyal was the Chairman of the First Finance Commission of Rajasthan.
• Award period: 1995-1996 to 1999-2000
• Devolution of State’s Own Net Tax Revenue recommended: 2.18
• Article 243-I of the Constitution of India states that the Governor of state shall, as soon as may be within one year from the commencement of the Constitution (seventy-third Amendment) Act, 1992, and thereafter at the expiration of every fifth year, constitute a Finance Commission to review the financial position of the Panchayats and make recommendations to the Governor.
• Similarly, Article 243-Y of the Constitution has a provision for municipalities.
• Articles 243-I and 243-Y have a provision that the State Finance Commission shall recommend the principles governing the distribution between the state and the panchayats and the municipalities of the net proceeds of the taxes, duties, tolls, and fees leviable by the State.
• The Commission is to recommend grants to the Panchayats and Municipalities from the Consolidated Fund of the State and measures to improve the financial position of these local bodies.
• The Governor shall cause every recommendation made by the Commission under Articles 243-I and 243-Y together with an explanatory memorandum as to the action taken thereon to be laid before the legislature of the State.

• The salaries, allowances and other conditions of service of the chairperson or a member of the National Human Rights Commission are determined by the Central government.
• Also, they cannot be varied to his disadvantage after his appointment.

Statement 1 is correct:

• India uses a first-past-the-post (FPTP) system for elections, where the candidate with the most votes in a single-member constituency wins.
• India has a bicameral legislature with the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States).

Statement 2 is incorrect:

• India's first general elections were held in 1951-52, not 1950. The Constitution came into effect on January 26, 1950, but elections were conducted later.

Thus, the correct answer is: A: Only 1.

• Only an association or body of individual citizens of India calling itself a political party and intending to avail itself of the provisions of Part-IV-A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, (relating to registration of political parties) is required to get itself registered with the Election Commission of India.

• The nature of democracy is that elected officials are accountable to the people, and they must return to the voters at prescribed intervals to seek their mandate to continue in office.
• For that reason, most democratic constitutions provide that elections are held at fixed regular intervals.

Ex-officio members:

• Chairperson, National Commission for Scheduled Castes
• Chairperson, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes
• Sardar Iqbal Singh Lalpura, Chairperson, National Commission for Minorities
• Chairperson, National Commission for Women
• Chairperson, National Commission for Backward Classes
• Chairperson National Commission for Protection of Child Rights
• Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities

Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
Long Title: An Act to provide for the constitution of a National Human Rights Commission, State Human Rights Commissions in States and Human Rights Courts for better protection of human rights and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.