Chapter 3

1. A direct democracy is one where the citizens directly participate in the day-to-day decision making and in the running of the government. Direct democracy can be practiced where small population of people lives . this may not be possible in country like india , whose population is in crores.

o Example – Switzerland

ELECTION SYSTEM IN INDIA

1. India follow both First Past the Post (FPTP) and Proportional Representation both to elect representative
2. First Past the Post (FPTP):- This system is followed in India to elect members of Lok sabha (Lower house of parliament), State legislative assemblies.
3. Proportional Representation:This system is followed in india in on limited scale in indirect election such as Election of president , Vice- President, Rajya Sabha, State legislative council.

How does PR work in Rajya Sabha elections

1. Voting is done by single transferable vote, as the election is held on the principle of proportional representation
2. A single transferable vote means electors can vote for any number of candidates in order of their preference.
3. Every State has a specific quota of seats in the Rajya Sabha based on population
4. The members of Rajyasabha are elected by the respective State legislative assemblies . Only elected MLA are eligible to vote in Rajyasabha election

Why did India adopt the FPTP system over Proportional Representation ?

1. Proportional representation (PR) System is so complicated which may be useful in small country
2. FPTP system is quite simple as compared to PR
3. FTTP is extremely simple to understand even for common voters
4. Voters have to simply endorse a candidate or a party while voting
5. The FPTP system offers voters a choice not simply between parties but specific candidates.

RESERVATION OF CONSTITUENCIES

1. In reserved 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.
2. Of the 543 elected seats in the Lok Sabha, 84 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 47 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes
3. The Parliament can take a decision to further extend it, when the period of reservation expires
4. The number of seats reserved for both of these groups is in proportion to their share in the population of India

Delimitation Commission

1. It is also known as boundary commission
2. Set up with purpose of drawing up the boundaries of constituencies all over the country
3. The Delimitation Commission is appointed by the President of India and works in collaboration with the Election Commission of India
4. Democratic elections require that all adult citizens of the country must be eligible to vote in the elections. This is known as universal adult franchise.
5. Till 1989, an adult Indian meant an Indian citizen above the age of 21. 61st constitutional amendment 1989, reduced the eligibility age to 18 from 21…..
6. minimum age requirements for contesting elections

1. there is a legal provision that a person who has undergone imprisonment for two or more years for some offence is disqualified from contesting elections
2. But there are no restrictions of income, education or class or gender on the right to contest In this sense, our system of election is open to all citizens
3. Article 324 of the Indian Constitution provides for an independent Election Commission for the ‘superintendence, direction and control of the electoral roll and the conduct of elections’ in India Article 324: (1) The superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls for, and the conduct of, all elections to Parliament and to the Legislature of every State and of elections to the offices of President and VicePresident held under this Constitution shall be vested in a Commission
4. To assist the Election Commission of India there is a Chief Electoral Officer in every state
5. The Election Commission is not responsible for the conduct of local body State Election Commissioners work independently of the Election Commission of India and each has its own sphere of operation
6. State Election Commission is responsible for the conduct of local body election.
7. The Election Commission of India can either be a single member or a multi-member Till 1989, the Election Commission was single member. Just before the 1989 general elections, two Election Commissioners were appointed, making the body multi-member. Soon after the elections, the Commission reverted to its single member status. In 1993, two Election Commissioners were once again appointed and the Commission became multi-member and has remained multi-member since then
8. There was a sharp difference of opinion between the then Chief Election Commissioner and the other Commissioners about who had how much power. The matter had to be settled by the Supreme Court
9. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) presides over the Election Commission, but does not have more powers than the other Election commissioners.
10. The CEC and the two Election Commissioners have equal powers to take all decisions relating to elections as a collective body.
11. They are appointed by the President of India on the advice of the Council of Ministers
12. Constitution ensures the security of the tenure of the CEC and Election Commissioners. They are appointed for a six year term or continue till the age of 65, whichever is earlier
13. The CEC can be removed before the expiry of the term, by the President if both Houses of Parliament make such a recommendation with a special majority