Ch 05 - Universal Franchise and India’s Electoral System8th Social Science
Universal Adult Franchise
What does the principle of 'Universal Adult Franchise' guarantee in the Indian Constitution?
What does the principle of 'Universal Adult Franchise' guarantee in the Indian Constitution?
- Definition: It guarantees that every adult citizen of India (aged 18 and above) holds the fundamental right to vote.
- Basis of Equality: This right is granted strictly irrespective of caste, creed, religion, gender, educational qualification, or wealth.
- Constitutional Provision: It is explicitly enshrined under Article 326 of the Constitution.
- Core Value: It ensures absolute political equality, embodying the democratic principle of "One Person, One Vote, One Value."
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The Pre-Independence Franchise
Approximately what percentage of the Indian population possessed voting rights before Independence?
Approximately what percentage of the Indian population possessed voting rights before Independence?
- The Statistic: Under British colonial rule (such as the Government of India Act 1935), only about 10% to 13% of the Indian population held voting rights.
- The Basis of Exclusion: The franchise was strictly limited based on discriminatory criteria like property ownership, tax payments, and educational qualifications.
- The Contrast: This stark statistic highlights how incredibly revolutionary the adoption of 100% Universal Adult Franchise was in 1950.
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The Constituent Assembly's Vision
How did constituent assembly member Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar describe the bold adoption of universal adult franchise?
How did constituent assembly member Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar describe the bold adoption of universal adult franchise?
- The Quote: He famously described the granting of universal voting rights as an act of "abundant faith in the common man."
- The Significance: He acknowledged that giving immense political power to millions of largely poor and illiterate citizens simultaneously was an unprecedented "bold experiment," unseen in global democratic history up to that point.
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Also in this chapter
35 more cards to study in Prism
- 4The Voting Age Amendment
- 5The Literacy vs. Franchise Debate
- 6Women's Suffrage: A Global Contrast
- 7Ancient Roots: Uttaramerur Inscriptions
- 8The Election Commission of India (ECI)
- 9Structure of the ECI
- 10Hierarchy of Election Officials
- 11Jurisdiction: ECI vs. SEC
- 12The Delimitation Commission
- 13General vs. Assembly Elections
- 14Representatives: MP vs. MLA
- 15Bicameral State Legislatures
- 16The First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) System
- 17Critique of FPTP: The Minority Winner
- 18Political Reservation in the Lok Sabha
- 19Women's Representation in Local Bodies
- 20Elections to the Rajya Sabha
- 21The Presidential Electoral College
- 22Election & Role of the Vice President
- 23Types of Majorities
- 24The Government Formation Process
- 25The Model Code of Conduct (MCC)
- 26T.N. Seshan's Legacy
- 27The Dinesh Goswami Committee
- 28The Secret Ballot Principle
- 29India's First Voter: Shyam Saran Negi
- 30Voting Day: The 3 Polling Officers
- 31NOTA (None Of The Above)
- 32VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail)
- 33Timeline: First Use of EVMs & VVPATs
- 34Technological Security of EVMs
- 35Global Adoption of Indian EVMs
- 36Inclusivity: The Vote-from-Home Facility
- 37Case Study: Inclusivity (Braille Ballots)
- 38Current Challenges to the Electoral System
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