NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Political Science - Election and Representation

Q1. Which of the following most closely resembles 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.

Ans:
(d) Decisions taken by the Gram Sabha.

Q2. 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.

Ans: Tasks not performed by the Election Commission
(b) Nominating the candidates.
(e) Supervising the Panchayat elections.

Q3. Which of the following is common to the method of election of the members of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha?
(a) Every citizen above the age of 18 is an eligible voter.
(b) Voters can give a preference order for different candidates.
(c) Every vote has equal value.
(d) The winner must get more than half the votes.

Ans: 
(c) Every vote has equal value.

Q4. In the First Past the Post (FPTP) system, the candidate is declared the winner who:
(a) Secures the largest number of postal ballots.
(b) Belongs to the party that has the 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.

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

Q5. What is the difference between the system of reservation of constituencies and the system of separate electorates? Why did the Constitution makers reject the latter?

​Ans:
There is a significant difference between the system of reservation of constituencies and the system of separate electorates:
Separate electorate system:

• It has been considered a curse for India.
• The British introduced this system to divide votes among Sikhs, Muslims, and other minorities.
• These groups elected their own representatives by separate voting.
• In this system, candidates are elected only by voters belonging to that particular community.

System of reservation of constituencies:

• All eligible voters can vote.
• A candidate must belong to the community for which the seat is reserved.
• The Constitution provides for the reservation of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
• The Constitution makers rejected separate electorates because they destroyed the spirit of national integration.

Q6. Which of the following statements are incorrect? Identify and correct them by substituting, adding, or rearranging only one word or phrase.
(a) The FPTP system is followed for all elections in India.
(b) The Election Commission does not supervise Panchayat and Municipal elections.
(c) The President of India cannot remove an Election Commissioner.
(d) Appointment of more than one Election Commissioner in the Election Commission is mandatory.

Ans:
(a) Incorrect. The correct statement is: The FPTP system is followed for all elections in India except elections of the President, Vice President, and elections to the Rajya Sabha and the Vidhan Parishad.
(b) Correct statement. The Election Commission of India indeed does not supervise Panchayat and Municipal elections — these are conducted by State Election Commissions.
(c) Incorrect. The President can remove an Election Commissioner.
(d) Incorrect. The appointment of more than one Election Commissioner is not mandatory.

Q7. The Indian electoral system aims at ensuring representation of socially disadvantaged sections. However, we are yet to have even 10 per cent women members in our legislatures. What measures would you suggest to improve the situation?
Ans:

To improve the representation of women in legislatures, several measures can be taken:

• Reservation of Seats: Reserve a fixed percentage (for example, 33%) of seats in Parliament and State Legislatures for women, as proposed in the Women’s Reservation Bill.
• Party-Level Quotas: Political parties should be required to nominate a certain percentage of women candidates in elections.
• Leadership Training and Support: Provide training, funding, and leadership development programs for women to encourage their participation in politics.
• Social Awareness: Promote gender equality through education and media campaigns to change social attitudes that discourage women from entering politics.
• Safety and Work Environment: Ensure a safe and respectful political environment so that women can work freely and confidently in public life.

Q8. Here are some wishes expressed in a conference to discuss a constitution for a new country. Write against each of these whether the FPTP or the Proportional Representation system is more suited to meet each wish.
(a) People should clearly know who their representative is, so they can hold him or her personally accountable.
(b) We have small linguistic minorities spread all over the country; we should ensure fair representation for 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.

Ans:
(a) FPTP
Reason: In FPTP, each constituency elects one representative, making it easy for voters to know and hold their representative accountable.

(b) Proportional Representation
Reason: PR gives seats in proportion to the total votes a party gets, ensuring fair representation for smaller or dispersed minority groups.

(c) Proportional Representation
Reason: In PR, the percentage of votes received by a party closely matches the percentage of seats it gets in the legislature.

​(d) FPTP
Reason: FPTP allows voters to choose individual candidates directly, not just parties, enabling them to support capable individuals regardless of party preference.

Q9. 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 contest elections. 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?
Ans:
​I agree with the second view — that former Election Commissioners should not be allowed to join political parties or contest elections.
Reasons:

• The Election Commission is expected to be completely impartial and independent while conducting elections.
• If former Election Commissioners are later seen joining political parties, it can create public suspicion that their earlier decisions were influenced by political interests.
• Such a situation would damage the credibility and trust that people have in the Election Commission.
• To maintain the integrity and neutrality of the institution, a cooling-off period or a permanent restriction on joining politics after retirement is necessary.

Q10. “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.
Ans:
Yes, I agree with the statement, for the following reasons:

• India has a multi-party system including regional parties; proportional representation better reflects their presence.
• Decentralisation of power strengthens responsibility along with national unity and integrity.
• Representative democracy becomes more effective and trustworthy.
• It ensures political parties receive seats in proportion to their votes.
• The electoral system has allowed peaceful change of governments at both the state and national levels.
• Voters show sustained keen interest in elections; this encourages more candidates and parties to contest.