NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Political Science Chapter 3: Election and Representation

These Class 11 Political Science Chapter 3 solutions cover Election and Representation from Indian Constitution at Work, the NCERT textbook continued for the 2026–27 session. The chapter explains the different methods of election (First Past the Post and Proportional Representation), why the framers chose the FPTP system for India, how reservation of constituencies ensures fair representation, the importance of universal adult franchise and the independent Election Commission, and the ongoing debate on electoral reforms. Below you get step-by-step answers to all NCERT exercises, key concepts, extra practice, MCQs, Assertion–Reason questions and FAQs.

Class: 11 Subject: Political Science Book: Indian Constitution at Work Chapter: 3 Chapter Name: Election and Representation Session: 2026–27
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Class 11 Political Science Chapter 3 – Overview

Chapter 3, Election and Representation, studies the constitutional provisions that make elections in India free, fair and representative. In a large democracy, citizens rule through elected representatives, so the method of choosing them is crucial. The chapter compares two systems — the First Past the Post (FPTP) or plurality system, in which the country is divided into single-member constituencies and the candidate with the most votes wins, and Proportional Representation (PR), in which parties get seats in proportion to their share of votes. India adopted FPTP for direct elections because it is simple and tends to produce stable governments, while a complex variant of PR (the Single Transferable Vote) is used for the Rajya Sabha, President and Vice-President. It also explains reservation of constituencies for SCs and STs (instead of separate electorates), universal adult franchise (voting age reduced to 18 in 1989), the right to contest, the powers and independence of the Election Commission of India under Article 324, and proposals for electoral reform.

Key Concepts & Terms

First Past the Post (FPTP) system: also called the plurality system, the country is divided into many single-member constituencies; each constituency elects one representative, and the candidate who gets the highest number of votes wins — even without a majority (50%+1). Followed in India and the U.K.

Proportional Representation (PR) system: each party gets seats in the legislature in proportion to its share of votes. Voters vote for a party (which fills its quota from a pre-declared list), and large multi-member areas or the whole country may be one constituency. Followed in Israel and the Netherlands.

Single Transferable Vote (STV): a third, complex variant of PR used for Rajya Sabha (and Vidhan Parishad), Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections, in which voters rank candidates by preference and a candidate must secure a fixed quota of votes to win.

Reserved constituencies: constituencies where all voters can vote but only candidates from a particular community (SC or ST) may contest. Of 543 elected Lok Sabha seats, 84 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 47 for Scheduled Tribes (as on 26 January 2019).

Separate electorate: the British-era system in which only voters belonging to a particular community could elect a representative of that community. The Constitution makers rejected it as divisive and adopted reserved constituencies instead.

Delimitation Commission: an independent body appointed by the President, working with the Election Commission, that draws the boundaries of constituencies and decides which are reserved for SCs and STs.

Universal adult franchise: the right of every adult citizen to vote, irrespective of education, income, class or gender. The voting age was reduced from 21 to 18 by a constitutional amendment in 1989.

Election Commission of India: the independent body under Article 324 responsible for the superintendence, direction and control of elections to Parliament, State legislatures and the offices of President and Vice-President. It is a multi-member body with a Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners of equal power.

Special majority: two-thirds of those present and voting, and a simple majority of the total membership of the House — required by both Houses of Parliament to recommend the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner.

Model Code of Conduct: the set of rules the Election Commission enforces on parties and candidates during the election process to ensure a free and fair poll.

NCERT Exercises — Full Solutions

All questions below are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT textbook’s end-of-chapter Exercises. Answers are original, written in exam-ready style.

1. Which of the following resembles most a direct democracy? a. Discussions in a family meeting b. Election of the class monitor c. Choice of a candidate by a political party d. Decisions taken by the Gram Sabha e. Opinion polls conducted by the media

ANSWER (d) Decisions taken by the Gram Sabha. In a direct democracy, citizens themselves participate directly in day-to-day decision-making rather than through elected representatives. A Gram Sabha, where all adult villagers gather to take decisions together, is the closest real-life example of direct democracy in India.

2. Which of the following tasks are not performed by the Election Commission? a. Preparing the Electoral Rolls b. Nominating the candidates c. Setting up polling booths d. Implementing the model code of conduct e. Supervising the Panchayat elections

ANSWER (b) Nominating the candidates and (e) Supervising the Panchayat elections are NOT performed by the Election Commission of India. Candidates are nominated by political parties or stand independently, not by the Election Commission. Panchayat (local body) elections are conducted by the separate State Election Commissions, which work independently of the Election Commission of India. The Commission does prepare the electoral rolls, set up polling booths and implement the model code of conduct.

3. Which of the following is common to the method of election of the members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha? a. Every citizen above the age of 18 is an eligible voter b. Voter can give preference order for different candidates c. Every vote has equal value d. The winner must get more than half the votes

ANSWER (c) Every vote has equal value. Lok Sabha members are elected directly by the people through FPTP, while Rajya Sabha members are elected by the elected MLAs of the States through the Single Transferable Vote method. The principle of equal value of each vote is common to both. (Options a, b and d apply to only one of the two systems, not both.)

4. In the First Past the Post system, that candidate is declared winner who a. Secures the largest number of postal ballots b. Belongs to the party that has highest number of votes in the country c. Has more votes than any other candidate in the constituency d. Attains first position by securing more than 50% votes

ANSWER (c) Has more votes than any other candidate in the constituency. In the FPTP (plurality) system, the candidate who secures more votes than every other candidate in that constituency is declared elected. The winner need not get a majority (more than 50%) of the votes — just more than anyone else.

5. What is the difference between the system of reservation of constituencies and the system of separate electorate? Why did the Constitution makers reject the latter?

ANSWER Reservation of constituencies: in a reserved constituency, all voters of that constituency are eligible to vote, but only candidates belonging to the particular community or social section for which the seat is reserved (Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe) can contest. The representative is thus chosen by all communities together. Separate electorate: introduced by the British, this meant that for electing a representative of a particular community, only voters belonging to that community were eligible to vote. The community elected its representative on its own. Why the Constitution makers rejected separate electorates: they feared that separate electorates would divide society permanently along communal lines, weaken national unity and the spirit of common citizenship, and prevent communities from merging into the nation. Leaders such as Tajamul Husain called separate electorates a “curse” that had done incalculable harm and barred the country’s progress. Reserved constituencies, on the other hand, ensure fair representation to disadvantaged groups while keeping the electorate united, since all voters of the constituency vote together.

6. Which of the following statements are incorrect? Identify and correct them by substituting, adding or rearranging only one word or phrase. a. FPTP system is followed for all the elections in India. b. Election Commission does not supervise Panchayat and Municipal elections. c. President of India cannot remove an Election Commissioner. d. Appointment of more than one Election Commissioner in the Election Commission is mandatory.

ANSWER (a) Incorrect. Correction: “FPTP system is followed for direct elections in India.” (FPTP is used for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, but the PR/STV system is used for the Rajya Sabha, President and Vice-President.) (b) Correct. The Election Commission of India does not supervise Panchayat and Municipal elections; the State Election Commissions do. (c) Incorrect. Correction: “President of India cannot remove the Chief Election Commissioner (easily/at will).” The President can remove an ordinary Election Commissioner, but the Chief Election Commissioner can be removed only through a special procedure (recommendation by both Houses with a special majority). (d) Incorrect. Correction: “Appointment of more than one Election Commissioner in the Election Commission is not mandatory.” The Constitution allows the Commission to be either single-member or multi-member; it is currently multi-member by practice, not because the Constitution makes it compulsory.

7. Indian electoral system aims at ensuring representation of socially disadvantaged sections. However we have only 12 per cent women members in our legislatures. What measures would you suggest to improve the situation?

ANSWER Although the Indian electoral system reserves seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, women remain seriously under-represented in legislatures. Several measures can improve the situation: 1. Reservation of seats: reserve at least one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for women. This has now been provided through the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women’s Reservation Act, 2023), following the success of reservation in local bodies (panchayats and municipalities). 2. Party-level steps: require or encourage political parties to give a fixed minimum proportion of tickets to women candidates in winnable seats. 3. Empowerment and awareness: promote education, economic independence and political training of women, and create a safer, more supportive environment for women in public life. 4. Curbing money and muscle power in elections, which often discourages women from contesting, and ensuring better implementation of laws against this.

8. Here are some wishes expressed in a conference to discuss a constitution for a new country. Write against each of these whether FPTP or Proportional Representation system is more suited to meet each of these wishes. a. People should clearly know who is their representative so that they can hold him or her personally accountable. b. We have small linguistic minorities who are spread all over the country; we should ensure fair representation to them. c. There should be no discrepancy between votes and seats for different parties. d. People should be able to elect a good candidate even if they do not like his or her political party.

ANSWER a. FPTP – because each single-member constituency has one identifiable representative whom the voters know and can hold personally accountable. b. Proportional Representation – because PR allows even small or scattered minorities to win seats in proportion to their total votes across the country. c. Proportional Representation – because in PR every party gets seats in proportion to its share of votes, removing the discrepancy between votes and seats that occurs under FPTP. d. FPTP – because voters vote for a candidate (not just a party list), so they can choose a good candidate regardless of his or her party.

9. A former Chief Election Commissioner joined a political party and contested elections. There are various views on this issue. One view is that a former Election Commissioner is an independent citizen and has a right to join any political party and to contest election. According to the other view, leaving this possibility open can affect the impartiality of the Election Commission. So, former Election Commissioners must not be allowed to contest any elections. Which position do you agree with and why?

ANSWER Both positions have merit, so a balanced answer should weigh them. The first view holds that a former CEC is an ordinary citizen after retirement and, like everyone else, has the fundamental right to join a party and contest elections; barring them would deny them their democratic rights. The second view is stronger from the point of view of protecting institutions. If a CEC knows that taking decisions favourable to a particular party could later win them a ticket and a political career, the very impartiality of the Election Commission is endangered. Even the suspicion of such a possibility can damage public trust in free and fair elections. My view: I agree more with the second position. Since the Election Commission must be, and must appear to be, completely neutral, it is wiser to bar former Election Commissioners from joining a party or contesting elections (at least for some years after retirement). Safeguarding the credibility of a vital democratic institution is more important than the individual’s personal political ambition. (A well-argued answer supporting the first view, on grounds of individual rights, is also acceptable.)

10. “Indian democracy is now ready to shift from a crude First Past the Post system to a system of Proportional Representation”. Do you agree with this statement? Give your reasons for or against this statement.

ANSWER This is an open-ended question; a good answer takes a clear position and supports it. A balanced response (disagreeing): I do not fully agree that India is ready to abandon FPTP for PR. Arguments for keeping FPTP: it is simple and familiar even to voters with no special knowledge of politics; it gives a clear choice of a specific candidate whom voters can hold accountable; it usually produces a clear majority and hence stable governments, which a parliamentary system needs; and it discourages parties based on a single caste or community while encouraging social groups to come together. Arguments in favour of PR (the other side): PR removes the large gap between votes and seats (as in 1984, when the Congress won 48% votes but over 80% of seats), gives fair representation to smaller parties and minorities, and reduces ‘wasted’ votes. Conclusion: the full PR system is complex and can produce unstable, fragmented coalitions in a diverse, sub-continental country like India. Rather than a complete shift, India could consider a limited or mixed system. Overall, FPTP’s simplicity and stability still suit Indian conditions, so a wholesale shift to PR is not advisable at present. (A reasoned answer agreeing with the statement, stressing fairness between votes and seats, is also acceptable.)

Extra Practice Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Why are the basic rules about elections written into the Constitution rather than left to Parliament?

ANSWERThe basic rules about elections — who can vote, who can contest, who supervises elections and how votes are counted — must be agreed upon before electoral politics begins, like the rules and umpire of a game. If left to the government or Parliament of the day, the ruling party could change them to suit itself. Writing them in the Constitution keeps them impartial and stable.

Q2. What is the ‘wasted votes’ problem in the FPTP system?

ANSWERIn FPTP, only the candidate with the most votes wins; all votes cast for the losing candidates fetch no seat and are effectively ‘wasted’. As a result, a party can win a large share of seats with a much smaller share of votes, while smaller parties get far fewer seats than their vote share.

Q3. What is the role of the Delimitation Commission?

ANSWERThe Delimitation Commission is an independent body appointed by the President of India that works with the Election Commission to draw the boundaries of all constituencies and to decide which constituencies will be reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, based on the proportion of SC/ST population.

Q4. State two functions of the Election Commission of India.

ANSWER(i) It prepares and updates the voters’ list and fixes the schedule of elections (notification, nomination, scrutiny, withdrawal, polling and counting). (ii) It implements the model code of conduct, can postpone or cancel a poll to keep it fair, recognises political parties and allots them election symbols.

Q5. Why is the FPTP system said to favour the formation of stable governments?

ANSWERFPTP usually gives the largest party or coalition some extra ‘bonus’ seats, more than their share of votes would allow, often producing a clear majority in the legislature. Since a parliamentary system needs the executive to have a majority, this helps form and sustain a stable government.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Compare the First Past the Post and the Proportional Representation systems of election.

ANSWERUnder FPTP, the country is divided into small geographical units called constituencies, each electing one representative; the voter votes for a candidate, and the candidate with the most votes wins even without a majority. A party may therefore win more seats than its vote share would justify. Examples are the U.K. and India. Under PR, large areas (or the whole country) form constituencies from which more than one representative is elected; the voter votes for a party, and each party gets seats in proportion to its share of votes, so the winner generally needs a majority of votes. Examples are Israel and the Netherlands. Thus FPTP is simple, identifies one accountable representative per area and aids stable government, while PR gives fairer representation to small parties and minorities but can lead to fragmented coalitions. India uses FPTP for direct elections and a PR variant (STV) for indirect ones.

Q2. Explain the reasons why India adopted the FPTP system instead of Proportional Representation.

ANSWERThe Constitution makers chose FPTP for several reasons. First, it is simple — easy to understand even for voters with no special knowledge of politics, since the candidate with the most votes simply wins. Second, it gives voters a clear choice of a specific candidate (not just a party list), so people know their own representative and can hold him or her accountable. Third, FPTP tends to produce a clear majority and stable government, which the parliamentary system needs, whereas a full PR system can fragment the legislature and prevent a clear majority. Fourth, FPTP encourages different social groups to come together to win a locality and discourages parties based on a single caste or community, which suits a diverse country like India. Experience has largely confirmed these expectations, though the rise of coalitions has also let smaller parties enter the contest.

Q3. Describe the composition, independence and powers of the Election Commission of India.

ANSWERComposition: Under Article 324, the Election Commission may be single-member or multi-member; since 1993 it has been multi-member, with a Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two Election Commissioners who have equal powers and decide as a collective body. They are appointed by the President on the advice of the Council of Ministers, are assisted by a Chief Electoral Officer in each State, and hold office for six years or till the age of 65, whichever is earlier. Independence: The CEC enjoys security of tenure — he can be removed before the end of his term only if both Houses of Parliament recommend it with a special majority, the same protection given to a Supreme Court judge. This ensures the ruling party cannot remove a CEC who refuses to favour it. Powers: The Commission supervises the electoral rolls, fixes the election schedule, implements the model code of conduct, can postpone or cancel elections and order re-polls or recounts, recognises parties and allots symbols, and has control over officials on election duty (it can transfer them or act against partisan conduct). Over the years it has emerged as an independent, assertive authority protecting the sanctity of elections.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. The First Past the Post system is also known as the:

(a) Proportional system    (b) Plurality system    (c) Single Transferable Vote system    (d) List system

2. Which method of election is used for the Rajya Sabha?

(a) FPTP    (b) Direct election by people    (c) Single Transferable Vote (a variant of PR)    (d) Separate electorate

3. In the 1984 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party won about 80% of the seats with what share of votes?

(a) 80%    (b) 60%    (c) 48%    (d) 25%

4. Which country given in the chapter follows the Proportional Representation system?

(a) United Kingdom    (b) India    (c) Israel    (d) United States

5. The voting age in India was reduced from 21 to 18 by a constitutional amendment in:

(a) 1950    (b) 1971    (c) 1989    (d) 2003

6. The independent Election Commission of India is provided for by which Article of the Constitution?

(a) Article 312    (b) Article 324    (c) Article 356    (d) Article 370

7. In a reserved constituency:

(a) only voters of the reserved community can vote    (b) all voters can vote but only candidates of the reserved community can contest    (c) no election is held    (d) only PR is used

8. Which body draws the boundaries of constituencies and decides which are reserved?

(a) The Supreme Court    (b) The Parliament    (c) The Delimitation Commission    (d) The State Election Commission

9. The minimum age to contest a Lok Sabha or Assembly election is:

(a) 18 years    (b) 21 years    (c) 25 years    (d) 30 years

10. The Chief Election Commissioner can be removed before the end of his term only:

(a) by the Prime Minister    (b) by both Houses of Parliament with a special majority    (c) by the ruling party    (d) by the other Election Commissioners

Answer key: 1-(b), 2-(c), 3-(c), 4-(c), 5-(c), 6-(b), 7-(b), 8-(c), 9-(c), 10-(b).

For each Assertion–Reason question, choose: (A) Both true and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion; (B) Both true but the Reason is not the correct explanation; (C) Assertion true, Reason false; (D) Assertion false, Reason true.

A-R 1. Assertion: In the FPTP system, the winning candidate need not secure a majority of the votes.

Reason: The candidate who gets more votes than any other candidate in the constituency is declared elected.

A-R 2. Assertion: India adopted the system of separate electorates after independence.

Reason: Separate electorates ensure that each community elects its own representative without dividing society.

A-R 3. Assertion: The Election Commission of India does not conduct Panchayat and Municipal elections.

Reason: Local body elections are conducted by independent State Election Commissions.

A-R 4. Assertion: The Constitution gives the Chief Election Commissioner security of tenure.

Reason: This prevents a ruling party from removing a CEC who refuses to favour it in elections.

A-R 5. Assertion: The Proportional Representation system always produces stable single-party governments.

Reason: In PR, seats are divided among parties in proportion to their share of votes.

Answer key: 1-(A), 2-(D), 3-(A), 4-(A), 5-(D).

Exam Tips & Common Mistakes

How to score full marks in this chapter

Master the FPTP vs PR comparison as a clear point-by-point table (constituency size, vote for candidate or party, votes-to-seats relation, majority requirement, examples). Remember the key facts — Article 324 for the Election Commission, the 1984 Congress 48% votes / 80% seats example, voting age reduced to 18 in 1989, minimum contesting age 25, and the special majority needed to remove the CEC. For ‘reservation vs separate electorate’ and ‘why FPTP’ questions, give a two-sided, well-structured answer with examples. For opinion questions (Q9, Q10), state a clear position and back it with two or three reasons.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Saying the FPTP winner must get more than 50% of votes — he only needs more votes than any other candidate.
  • Confusing reserved constituencies (all vote, only SC/ST contest) with separate electorates (only that community votes).
  • Claiming FPTP is used for ALL Indian elections — the Rajya Sabha, President and Vice-President use a PR/STV variant.
  • Mixing up the Election Commission of India with the State Election Commissions that run local body polls.
  • Writing that the President can freely remove the Chief Election Commissioner — this needs a special majority of both Houses.
  • Thinking PR always gives stable governments — it often leads to fragmented coalitions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Chapter 3 of Class 11 Political Science (Indian Constitution at Work) about?

Chapter 3, Election and Representation, explains the methods of election (FPTP and Proportional Representation), why India adopted FPTP, the reservation of constituencies for SCs and STs, universal adult franchise, the powers and independence of the Election Commission under Article 324, and the debate on electoral reforms.

What is the difference between FPTP and Proportional Representation?

In FPTP, the country is divided into single-member constituencies and the candidate with the most votes wins, even without a majority; the voter votes for a candidate. In PR, parties get seats in proportion to their share of votes and the voter votes for a party. India uses FPTP for direct elections and a PR variant (STV) for the Rajya Sabha, President and Vice-President.

Why did the Constitution makers reject separate electorates?

They feared separate electorates would permanently divide society along communal lines and weaken national unity, since only members of a community could elect its representative. Instead they adopted reserved constituencies, where all voters vote together but only SC/ST candidates contest the reserved seat.

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