Chapter 7-Elections-Class 9-Question Answers-Social Science

 

Class 9 History Chapter 7: Elections – Questions and Answers

The Big Questions:

1. Why are elections essential to a democratic system?

Answer: 

1. Elections allow citizens to choose their representatives and participate in governing the country.

2. They ensure that the government is formed by the will of the people and remains accountable to them.

3. Elections provide an opportunity to replace non-performing governments through peaceful and constitutional means.

4. They give every eligible citizen an equal voice, following the principle of Universal Adult Franchise.

5. Therefore, elections are called the soul of democracy because they strengthen public participation and democratic governance.

2. How do electoral systems and rules shape political representation and fairness? 

Answer:

1. Electoral rules ensure that every eligible citizen has the right to vote without discrimination.

2. Delimitation of constituencies and updated electoral rolls provide equal representation to the people.

3. The Model Code of Conduct promotes free and fair election campaigns for all political parties.

4. Political parties offer voters different policies and programmes, helping them make informed choices.

5. Thus, electoral systems and rules promote fair competition, equal opportunity, and democratic representation.

3. What role do institutions and laws play in ensuring free and fair elections? 

Answer:

1. The Election Commission of India (ECI) conducts elections independently and impartially across the country.

2. The Representation of the People Acts, 1950 and 1951 provide the legal framework for conducting elections fairly.

3. The Delimitation Commission ensures fair representation by defining electoral constituencies.

4. The ECI uses EVMs, VVPAT, digital services, and voter awareness programmes to improve transparency and accessibility.

5. Together, these institutions and laws protect the freedom, fairness, and credibility of elections.

4. What challenges do elections face in practice, and how can these challenges affect democracy? 

Answer:

1. Elections face challenges such as misinformation, fake news, intimidation, and attempts to influence voters.

2. These challenges can mislead voters and reduce the fairness and transparency of elections.

3. They may weaken public trust in the democratic process and affect informed decision-making.

4. The ECI addresses these issues through the Model Code of Conduct, EVMs, VVPAT, voter awareness campaigns, and election laws.

5. Active citizen participation and strict enforcement of election rules help strengthen democracy and ensure free and fair elections.

Questions and activities:

1. What reforms have been introduced by the ECI to make voting more inclusive for the following groups? 

Answer:

a. People with Disabilities (PwDs)

• Braille-enabled EVMs and wheelchair facilities are provided.

• Volunteers and accessible polling stations help PwD voters vote independently.

b. Service Voters

• Members of the Armed Forces and other service voters can vote through postal ballots or the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS), ensuring they can vote even while on duty.

c. Senior Citizens

• Voters aged 60 years and above receive voter awareness and assistance at polling stations.

• Voters aged 80 years and above have the option of voting from home through the home voting facility.

d. Prisoners

• Convicted prisoners and undertrial prisoners in jail are generally not allowed to vote under election law.

e. Persons in Preventive Detention

• Persons kept in preventive detention are allowed to vote through postal ballots as provided under election rules.

2. What are the various functions of the Election Commission of India? Which function is the most important for the conduct of free and fair elections? Explain.

Answer:

Functions of the Election Commission of India (ECI)

1. Conducts free and fair elections to Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President.

2. Prepares and updates electoral rolls.

3. Registers and recognises political parties and allots election symbols.

4. Enforces the Model Code of Conduct during elections.

5. Supervises polling, counting of votes, and declaration of results.

Most Important Function

The conduct of free and fair elections is the most important function because it ensures that every citizen can vote freely and that election results truly reflect the people's choice, strengthening democracy.

3. "Elections are the soul of a democracy." Do you agree? Why or why not? 

Answer:

Yes, I agree.

1. Elections give citizens the right to choose their representatives.

2. They make the government accountable to the people.

3. They allow peaceful change of government through voting.

4. Every eligible citizen gets an equal opportunity to participate in governance.

5. Therefore, elections strengthen democracy by ensuring people's participation and protecting democratic values.

4. Explain at least three differences between the national and state/regional political parties.

Answer:

National Political Party	State/Regional Political Party
Works across the country.	Works mainly in one state or region.
Addresses national issues and policies.	Focuses on state or regional issues.
Must fulfil ECI criteria for recognition as a national party.	Must fulfil ECI criteria for recognition in a particular state.
Can contest elections throughout India.	Mainly contests elections within its state.

5. Why should you vote? Arrange the following in descending order of your choice. Discuss the reasons. 

Answer:

Suggested Order

1. (d) Strengthens democracy

2. (a) Opportunity to choose my representative

3. (c) Opportunity to change the non-performing representative

4. (b) Makes me a responsible person

Reasons

• Voting strengthens democracy by ensuring people's participation.

• It allows citizens to elect capable and honest representatives.

• It gives voters the power to replace ineffective governments peacefully.

• Voting is a constitutional right as well as a civic responsibility that contributes to nation-building.

6. What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiative of the ECI? Explain the objectives and the necessity of conducting SIR.

Answer:

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an initiative of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to thoroughly update and verify electoral rolls before elections.

Objectives:

1. To include all eligible citizens in the electoral roll.

2. To remove duplicate, shifted, or deceased voters.

3. To ensure accurate and error-free voter lists.

4. To improve transparency and fairness in elections.

5. To strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.

Necessity:

• An accurate electoral roll ensures that every eligible citizen can vote while preventing bogus or duplicate voting. This helps the ECI conduct free, fair, and credible elections.

7. Match the political party name with its symbol.

Answer:

 8. Read the case study below and answer the following questions. 

                                              Ishani and her mother were in the local market, day before the state assembly elections. She noticed wall writing and campaign posters pasted everywhere. Large groups of campaigners were distributing pamphlets and raising slogans in support of the respective candidates. Ishani has turned 18 and will be voting for the first time. She had registered to vote through the ECI’s online portal. The next morning, she, along with her mother and her disabled elder brother, went to the polling station, which was well guarded by the police personnel. A wheelchair was made available to them, and volunteers guided them to the polling booth. Inside the polling booth, there were only three people who were performing all duties. Ishani had forgotten her voter ID card and Aadhaar card, but she was surprised as no one asked for them. After casting her vote, she was also able to see the VVPAT slip. While leaving, she wondered how the police personnel vote, as they must be on duty from early morning till late evening. When she went home, she narrated her entire experience to her 89-year-old grandmother, who cast her vote from home.

a. What initiatives were taken by the ECI to enable the voters to cast their vote?

Answer:

The Election Commission of India (ECI) took several initiatives:

1. Online voter registration through the ECI portal.
2. Wheelchair facility and volunteers for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
3. Security arrangements at the polling station.
4. Use of EVMs with VVPAT for transparent voting.
5. Home voting facility for senior citizens aged 80 years and above.

b. If Ishani was allowed to vote even without carrying her Voter ID card or Aadhaar card, which other document might she be carrying that is valid for voting? 

Answer:

She could have carried any one of the alternative identity documents approved by the ECI, such as:

• Passport
• Driving Licence
• PAN Card
• MNREGA Job Card
• Passbook with photograph issued by a bank or post office
• Government-issued Photo Identity Card

(Any one valid photo identity document is sufficient.)

c. Cite the examples of violations of the Model Code of Conduct.

Answer:

The violations mentioned in the passage are:

1. Wall writing on public property.
2. Pasting campaign posters in public places without permission.

(Distributing pamphlets and raising slogans before the silence period is generally permitted as per election rules and is not necessarily a violation.)

d. Give a suitable title to the passage.

Answer:

                  "An Inclusive and Fair Voting Experience"

                                     OR

                 "My First Voting Experience"

e. Find out how the police and army personnel cast their votes. 

Answer:

• Army personnel and other Service Voters cast their votes through the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) or postal ballots.
• Police personnel who are on election duty may vote through postal ballots or the Election Duty Certificate (EDC), as permitted under ECI rules.

9. A comparative chart of three countries is given below. Based on the information given in the chart, answer the questions.

	Country A	Country B	Country C
Political Dimension	Written constitution, periodic elections, voting rights, party system varies from two-party to multi-party.	Written constitution, periodic elections, voting rights, one political party	Written constitution, monarchy, no voting rights, no political party.
Economic Dimension	Average standard of living.	Above-average standard of living.	High standard of living.

a. What is the difference between having a voting right in a country with a multi-party system and another with a single-party system?

Answer:

Multi-Party System	Single-Party System
Citizens can choose from many political parties.	Citizens have only one political party to choose from.
Elections offer real competition and wider choice.	Elections offer little or no political choice.

Answer: In a multi-party system, voters can choose among different political parties and candidates, making elections more competitive and representative. In a single-party system, voters have very limited choice because only one political party is allowed to contest or dominate elections.

b. In which of the above countries would you like to stay and why?

Answer: I would like to stay in Country A because:

1. It has a written Constitution, regular elections, and universal voting rights.

2. It follows a multi-party system, giving citizens the freedom to choose their representatives.

3. It provides democratic rights, political participation, and accountable government, which are essential features of a healthy democracy.

10. What are the challenges to conducting free and fair elections?

Answer:

1. Money power can influence voters and candidates unfairly.
2. Muscle power and intimidation may stop people from voting freely.
3. Fake news and misinformation can mislead voters.
4. Misuse of government machinery may give an unfair advantage to the ruling party.
5. The Election Commission of India (ECI) addresses these challenges through strict laws, the Model Code of Conduct, and voter awareness programmes.