NCERT Solutions For Class 9 Civics Chapter 3 Electoral Politics

NCERT Solutions For Class 9 Civics Chapter 3 Electoral Politics

Exercises

Question:- 1 Which of the following statements about the reasons for conducting elections are false?

a Elections enable people to judge the performance of the government.

b People select the representative of their choice in an election.

c Elections enable people to evaluate the performance of the judiciary.

d People can indicate which policies they prefer.

Answer:- c Elections enable people to evaluate the performance of the judiciary.

Question:- 2 Which of these is not a good reason to say that Indian elections are democratic?

a India has the largest number of voters in the world.

b India’s Election Commission is very powerful.

c In India, everyone above the age of 18 has a right to vote.

d In India, the losing parties accept the electoral verdict.

Answer:- a India has the largest number of voters in the world.

Question:- 3 Match the following :

Answer:-

Question:- 4 List all the different election related activities mentioned in the chapter and arrange them in a time sequence, beginning with the first activity and ending with the last. Some of these activities are given below: releasing election manifestos; counting of votes; making of voters’ list; election campaign; declaration of election results; casting of votes; ordering of re-poll; announcing election schedule; filing nomination.

Answer:- Making of voters’ list → Announcing election schedule → Releasing election manifesto → Election campaign → Filing nomination → Casting of votes → Ordering of re-poll → Counting of votes → Declaration of election results.

Question:- 5 Surekha is an officer in-charge of ensuring free and fair elections in an assembly constituency in a state. Describe what should she focus on for each of the following stages of election:

a Election campaign

b Polling day

c Counting day

Answer:- a )Election campaign:

• She should monitor that the candidates are not trying to bribe the voters.
• She should make monitor that no candidate is campaigning on the basis of caste or religion.
• She should monitor that no candidate uses government resources for election campaigning.
• For the Lok Sabha elections, She should monitor that no candidate spend more than Rs. 25 lakh in a single constituency.

b ) Polling day

• She should properly check the voters’ list
• She should properly check the voters’ id
• She should make ensure free and fair elections
• She should make ensure that there should be no use of unequal means, such as booth capturing.
• She should make ensure that EVMs should be sealed and removed to a secure location once polling is

C) Counting day

• She should make ensure that fair counting is carried out.
• She should make ensure that representatives of all parties present at the counting area in order to avoid malpractices.

Question:- 6 The table below gives the proportion of different communities among the candidates who won elections to the US Congress. Compare these to the proportion of these communities in the population of the US. Based on this, would you suggest a system of reservations in the US Congress? If yes, why and for which communities? If no, why not?

Answer:- Yes, a reservation system for Hispanics and Blacks should be established in the US Congress. Their representation in the US Congress is lower than that of White Americans, who make up the bulk of the population.

Question:- 7 Can we draw the following conclusions from the information given in this chapter? Give two facts to support your position for each of these.

a Election Commission of India does not have enough powers to conduct free and fair elections in the country.

b There is a high level of popular participation in the elections in our country.

c It is very easy for the party in power to win an election.

d Many reforms are needed to make our elections completely free and fair.

Answer:-

(a) No, India’s Election Commission is strong enough to hold free and fair elections:

1. It is in charge of enforcing the code of conduct and punishing any candidate or political party who breaks it.
2. During elections, government officials are employed by the EC rather than by the government.

(b) Yes, There is a high level of popular participation in the elections:

1. In recent years, voter turnout has risen.
2. In the last few years, people have become more involved in election-related activities.

(c) No, It is not very easy for the party in power to win an election:

1. Elections are often lost by the ruling parties.
2. Candidates that have a reputation for spending a lot of money are more likely to lose elections.

(d) Yes, number of reforms are required to ensure that our elections are completely free and fair:

1. To ensure that tiny parties and independents do not suffer in elections.
2. To ensure that no candidates with criminal backgrounds take part in the competition.

Question:- 8 Chinappa was convicted for torturing his wife for dowry. Satbir was held guilty of practicing untouchability. The court did not allow either of them to contest elections. Does this decision go against the principles of democratic elections?

Answer:- No. The decision to bar Chinappa and Satbir from running for office because of the crime they committed is completely reasonable. No criminal is allowed to vote in elections, according to the rules. As a result, it’s a reasonable decision.

Question:- 9 Here are some reports of electoral malpractices from different parts of the world. Is there anything that these countries can learn from India to improve their elections? What would you suggest in each case?

a During an election in Nigeria, the officer in charge of counting votes deliberately increased the votes of one candidate and declared him elected. The court later found out that more than five lakh votes cast for one candidate were counted in favour of another.

b Just before elections in Fiji, a pamphlet was distributed warning voters that a vote for former Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry will lead to bloodshed. This was a threat to voters of Indian origin.

c In the US, each state has its own method of voting, its own procedure of counting and its own authority for conducting elections. Authorities in the state of Florida took many controversial decisions that favoured Mr. Bush in the presidential elections in 2000. But no one could change those decisions.

Answer:- (a) In this instance, there should be representatives from each contender present to ensure that the votes are counted fairly.

(a) The election commission should launch an investigation into the case and bar any candidate or party involved in the distribution of such booklets from running for office.

(c) A single electoral commission, free of political interference and responsible for conducting elections across the country, should be established.

Question:- 10 Here are some reports of malpractices in Indian elections. Identify what the problem in each case is. What should be done to correct the situation?

a Following the announcement of elections, the minister promised to provide financial aid to reopen the closed sugar mill.

b Opposition parties alleged that their statements and campaign was not given due attention in Doordarshan and All India Radio.

c An inquiry by the Election Commission showed that electoral rolls of a state contain name of 20 lakh fake voters.

d The hoodlums of a political party were moving with guns, physically preventing supporters of other political parties to meet the voters and attacking meetings of other parties.

Answer:- a) A candidate should not make any promises during the election, according to the code of conduct that they must follow. As a result, the Election Commission should raise this with the minister in this issue.

b) The Election Commission should ensure that all parties are represented equally in government-owned media.

c) Re-elections should be announced by the Election Commission, as the presence of bogus ballots indicates vote tampering.

d ) The party should be banned by the Election Commission because the use of muscle and money power is completely prohibited.

Question:- 11 Ramesh was not in class when this chapter was being taught. He came the next day and repeated what he had heard from his father. Can you tell Ramesh what is wrong with these statements?

a Women always vote the way men tell them to. So what is the point of giving them the right to vote?

b Party politics creates tension in society. Elections should be decided by consensus not by competition.

c Only graduates should be allowed to stand as candidates for elections.

Answer:- a ) The secret-ballot system is employed in elections, and an individual can vote for the party of his or her choice. As a result, women can use their right to privacy and vote as they please.

b ) Competition is beneficial to any career since it drives people to improve. Election competition ensures that candidates work hard for the good of society. As a result, it should be promoted.

c ) A candidate’s educational background is not the main criterion for understanding people’s social requirements. As a result, if someone who is not a graduate wishes to run for office, it should be treated fairly.