Class 9 Social Science- Civics Chapter 3: Electoral Politics

1. Short Notes for Revision

• Elections Definition: Process where people choose their representatives. Common in modern democracies.
• Need for Elections: Allows indirect governance, ensures people’s voice. Makes rulers accountable.
• Electoral Competition: Parties compete to serve people better. Can motivate or lead to corruption.
• Democratic Elections: Free, fair, regular, with universal adult suffrage. Contrast with rigged non-democratic ones.
• Election Stages: Includes constituency delimitation, filing nominations, campaigning, polling, counting, result declaration.
• Indian Elections: Held every 5 years, managed by Election Commission of India. Covers 543 Lok Sabha seats.
• Free and Fair: No violence, rigging, or undue influence. Ensures equal opportunity for all parties.
• Election Commission Role: Oversees process, enforces rules, ensures fairness. Appoints officials, monitors violations.
• Challenges: Money power, muscle power, misuse of media. Efforts ongoing to address these.
• Key Terms: Ballot, constituency, turnout, NOTA (None Of The Above).

2. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Elections mean: A) Direct rule B) Choosing representatives C) Dictator’s order D) No voting
2. Why elections needed? A) For fun B) People’s voice, accountability C) To confuse D) No reason
3. Electoral competition: A) Harms people B) Motivates parties C) Ends democracy D) Ignores voters
4. Democratic election feature: A) Rigging B) Free and fair C) No voting D) One party
5. Constituency delimitation: A) Counting votes B) Drawing boundaries C) Campaigning D) Filing nominations
6. Indian election cycle: A) 2 years B) 5 years C) 10 years D) 1 year
7. Election Commission body: A) State government B) Central agency C) Local leaders D) Army
8. Free and fair means: A) Violence B) No rigging C) Money power D) Unequal chance
9. NOTA stands for: A) National Opinion Task B) None Of The Above C) New Official Term D) No Option Taken
10. Challenge in elections: A) Fairness B) Money power C) High turnout D) Equal media

Answer Key: 1-B, 2-B, 3-B, 4-B, 5-B, 6-B, 7-B, 8-B, 9-B, 10-B

3. Very Short Answer Type Questions (VSAQs)

1. What are elections? Answer: Choosing representatives by people.
2. Why needed? Answer: Ensures people’s voice and accountability.
3. What is competition? Answer: Parties compete to serve better.
4. Democratic feature? Answer: Free and fair voting.
5. What is delimitation? Answer: Drawing constituency boundaries.
6. Election cycle? Answer: Every 5 years.
7. Who manages elections? Answer: Election Commission.
8. What is NOTA? Answer: None Of The Above option.
9. Free and fair? Answer: No rigging or violence.
10. Challenge? Answer: Money power.

4. Short Answer Type Questions (SAQs)

1. Define elections. Answer: Elections are the process where people vote to choose representatives. This ensures democratic governance.
2. Why are they needed? Answer: Allow indirect rule, keep rulers accountable. Reflect people’s choice every few years.
3. What is electoral competition? Answer: Parties compete to win votes and serve people. Can boost effort but risks corruption.
4. Features of democratic elections? Answer: Free, fair, regular, with universal suffrage. Contrast with rigged non-democratic polls.
5. Explain delimitation. Answer: Drawing constituency boundaries for fair representation. Based on population and geography.
6. Role of Election Commission? Answer: Oversees elections, enforces rules, ensures fairness. Appoints officials and monitors process.
7. What makes elections free? Answer: No violence, rigging, or influence. Equal chance for all parties.
8. What is NOTA? Answer: Option to reject all candidates. Gives voters a choice to express dissatisfaction.
9. Challenges faced? Answer: Money and muscle power, media misuse. Efforts made to curb these issues.
10. Indian election cycle? Answer: Held every 5 years for Lok Sabha. Ensures regular accountability.

5. Long Answer Type Questions (LAQs)

1. What are elections and why are they needed in a democracy? Answer: Elections are the process where citizens vote to select their representatives, forming the backbone of modern democracy. They’re needed because direct governance by all is impractical, and they ensure rulers remain accountable to the people. For instance, India’s elections every 5 years reflect this, giving voice to millions across diverse regions.
2. Explain the stages of elections. Answer: Elections begin with delimitation, drawing constituency boundaries based on population. Next, candidates file nominations, followed by campaigning to reach voters. Polling day sees voting, then counting determines results, declared officially. Each stage, managed by the Election Commission, ensures a fair process in India’s vast democracy.
3. What makes an election democratic? Answer: A democratic election is free, fair, and held regularly with universal adult suffrage, giving everyone a vote. It avoids rigging, violence, or undue influence, ensuring equal opportunity for all parties, unlike non-democratic polls. India’s elections exemplify this with strict oversight by the Election Commission.
4. Discuss the role of the Election Commission. Answer: The Election Commission of India oversees the entire election process, ensuring it’s free and fair. It appoints officials, monitors violations like money power, and enforces rules, maintaining democracy’s integrity. Its authority has been key in managing India’s 543 Lok Sabha constituencies effectively.
5. Assess challenges in Indian elections. Answer: Indian elections face issues like money and muscle power, where wealth or force sways votes, and media misuse distorts information. Despite this, the Election Commission works to curb these through strict laws and monitoring. Progress is visible, but continuous effort is needed for truly fair polls.

6. Source-Based / Case-Based Assessment Questions

Source Extract: (Overview) “Elections allow people to govern through representatives, distinguishing democratic from non-democratic systems.”

Questions:

1. What do elections allow?
2. Who governs?
3. Democratic feature?
4. Non-democratic contrast?
5. Importance?

Answer Key:

1. Indirect governance.
2. Representatives.
3. Free voting.
4. Rigged polls.
5. Ensures voice.

Source Extract: (Election Commission) “The Election Commission ensures free and fair elections across India’s 543 constituencies.”

Questions:

1. Who ensures fairness?
2. Number of constituencies?
3. Key task?
4. Example of role?
5. Impact?

Answer Key:

1. Election Commission.
2. Free and fair polls.
3. Monitoring violations.
4. Strong democracy.

Source Extract: (Challenges) “Money power and muscle power challenge fair elections in India.”

Questions:

1. What challenges exist?
2. Money power effect?
3. Muscle power effect?
4. Who addresses this?
5. Solution progress?

Answer Key:

1. Money, muscle power.
2. Buys votes.
3. Intimidates voters.
4. Election Commission.
5. Laws improving.

7. Solved Exercise-End Questions (NCERT Solutions)

1. What are elections? Answer: Elections are when people vote to choose representatives. They enable democratic governance.
2. Why are elections needed? Answer: Needed for accountability and people’s voice. Allows indirect rule in large democracies.
3. What is electoral competition? Answer: Parties compete to win votes and serve people. Can motivate or lead to issues like corruption.
4. What makes an election democratic? Answer: Free, fair, regular voting with universal suffrage. No rigging or influence.
5. Describe delimitation. Answer: Drawing constituency boundaries based on population. Ensures fair representation.
6. Role of Election Commission? Answer: Manages elections, ensures fairness, enforces rules. Key for India’s democracy.
7. What is NOTA? Answer: None Of The Above option for voters. Allows rejection of all candidates.
8. How often are Indian elections held? Answer: Every 5 years for Lok Sabha. Keeps rulers accountable.
9. What are election challenges? Answer: Money and muscle power, media misuse. Being addressed by laws.
10. Why free and fair? Answer: Ensures equal chance, reflects true will. Strengthens democracy.