CDS Polity · Fundamental Rights, DPSP and Local Governance
Elections and Electoral Systems
Who runs elections and keeps the voter lists, how parties are recognised, how constituencies are redrawn, and the two ways of turning votes into seats.
Why this matters
13 CDS questions: 8 MODERATE, 4 HARD and 1 EASY. Several are dates and names that only a list can give you: the year of the first Delimitation Commission, the year photo identity cards began, what VVPAT stands for. Learn them as facts; there is nothing to work out.
Concept 1 of 4: The Election Commission, voters and electoral rolls
One body, the Election Commission of India, runs the elections to Parliament, the State legislatures and the offices of President and Vice-President. It also keeps the list of voters. Every adult citizen has one vote and one place on that list.
Definition
The Articles and tools:
- Article 324: superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections rest with the Election Commission.
- Article 325: one general electoral roll for every territorial constituency; nobody is left off it on grounds only of religion, race, caste or sex.
- Article 326: elections on adult suffrage: every citizen aged 18 or more may vote unless disqualified by law. The age came down from 21 by the 61st Amendment (1988).
- Article 329: an election can be questioned only by an election petition.
- The Model Code of Conduct comes into force as soon as the election schedule is announced. The cVIGIL app lets a citizen report a violation with a photo or video.
- EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Cards) began in 1993, under Chief Election Commissioner T. N. Seshan.
- VVPAT is the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail, the printer beside the voting machine that shows the voter a paper slip.
- An overseas elector must be a citizen of India with no other citizenship, be enrolled at the address in the passport, and vote in person at that polling station.
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Article 324 | Election Commission controls electoral rolls and the conduct of elections |
| Article 325 | One general electoral roll per constituency, no exclusion by religion, race, caste or sex |
| Article 326 | Adult suffrage at 18 |
| Article 329 | An election can be challenged only by an election petition |
| cVIGIL | App to report breaches of the Model Code of ConductQ |
| EPIC | Photo identity cards for voters, from 1993Q |
| VVPAT | Voter Verifiable Paper Audit TrailQ |
| Overseas elector | Indian citizen, on the roll at the passport address, votes in personQ |
Practice this conceptself-check · 5 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2021 · CDS (II) 2021 — General Knowledge · Q99Moderate
Example 1 · Fundamental Rights, DPSP and Local Governance · Elections and Electoral Systems
Which of the following statements regarding the electoral rolls is/are correct ?
1. There is one general electoral roll for every territorial constituency.
2. No person is ineligible for inclusion in the electoral roll on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or any of them.
3. A citizen of India, not less than 18 years of age, can cast his/her vote unless disqualified under a law of an appropriate legislature.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
The Model Code starts at the announcement
The Model Code of Conduct applies from the day the election schedule is announced, not from nomination day or polling day.
Overseas voters must be present
An overseas elector must be a citizen, be on the roll and vote in person. There is no postal vote for overseas electors.
Concept 2 of 4: Recognition of political parties
The Election Commission sorts parties into three kinds under its Symbols Order. A national party must show strength across several States; one of the ways is to be a recognised State party in four of them.
Definition
The rules:
- The Commission recognises parties under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
- Three categories only: national parties, State parties and registered unrecognised parties.
- 'Regional party' is a newspaper word, not an Election Commission category.
- A party is a national party if it meets any one of three tests: recognised as a State party in at least four States; or 6% of valid votes in four or more States plus four Lok Sabha seats; or 2% of Lok Sabha seats from at least three States.
| Category | How a party gets there |
|---|---|
| National party | State party in 4 States, or 6% votes in 4 States and 4 Lok Sabha seats, or 2% of Lok Sabha seats from 3 States |
| State party | Meets the vote or seat test in one State |
| Registered unrecognised party | Registered with the Commission but not yet recognised |
| Regional party | Not a category at allQ CDS 2020 (II): 'Regional Parties' was the item that is not a classified category. |
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2018 · CDS (I) 2018 — General Knowledge · Q58Moderate
Example 2 · Fundamental Rights, DPSP and Local Governance · Elections and Electoral Systems
According to the Election Commission of India, in order to be recognized as a 'National Party', a political party must be treated as a recognized political party in how many States?
Regional is not a legal status
The Commission's categories are national, State and registered unrecognised. A 'regional party' has no status under the Symbols Order.
Concept 3 of 4: Delimitation of constituencies
Delimitation redraws the boundaries of constituencies so that each holds a fair share of people. Parliament makes the law, and a Delimitation Commission does the drawing after a census.
Definition
The facts:
- Parliament passes a Delimitation Act; the Election Commission does not make the law.
- Delimitation Commissions were set up in 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002. The 2002 Commission used the 2001 census.
- Assam, 2023: the Election Commission redrew the State's constituencies on the 2001 census. Assembly seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes went up from 16 to 19.
| Exercise | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| First Delimitation Commission | 1952 | Under the Delimitation Commission Act of 1952 |
| Second | 1963 | After the 1961 census |
| Third | 1973 | After the 1971 census |
| Fourth | 2002 | Based on the 2001 census |
| Assam | 2023 | On the 2001 census; ST Assembly seats raised from 16 to 19Q CDS 2026 (II): the ST seats did go up, so only the 2001 census statement was correct. |
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2020 · CDS (I) 2020 — General Knowledge · Q94Hard
Example 3 · Fundamental Rights, DPSP and Local Governance · Elections and Electoral Systems
The First Delimitation Commission in India was constituted in
The Election Commission does not make delimitation law
Delimitation follows an Act of Parliament. In CDS 2016 (II) the claim that the Election Commission makes these laws was the statement that is not correct.
Concept 4 of 4: First past the post and proportional representation
There are two broad ways to turn votes into seats. In first past the post, each area elects one person and whoever polls the most votes wins. In proportional representation, a party's share of seats follows its share of votes.
Definition
The two systems:
- First past the post (FPTP): the country is cut into small constituencies, each elects one member, and the candidate with the most votes wins. A party can win more seats than its share of votes.
- Proportional representation (PR): a large area may elect several members, and seats are shared in proportion to votes. Israel and the Netherlands use a party-list form.
- In India, FPTP elects the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies.
- PR by the single transferable vote elects the President (Article 55), the Vice-President, the Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Councils.
| Point | First past the post | Proportional representation |
|---|---|---|
| Members per constituency | One | Can be more than one |
| Seats and votes | A party may win more or fewer seats than its vote share | Seats follow the vote share |
| Voter chooses | A candidate | Often a party list |
| Used in India for | Lok Sabha, State Assemblies | President, Vice-President, Rajya Sabha, Legislative CouncilsQ CDS 2022 (II): the President is elected by proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2025 · CDS (II) 2025 — General Knowledge · Q2Moderate
Example 4 · Fundamental Rights, DPSP and Local Governance · Elections and Electoral Systems
Which one of the following features is correct about the 'First Past the Post System' of election ?
The President is not elected by first past the post
The President is chosen by an electoral college through proportional representation by the single transferable vote, under Article 55.
India uses both systems
FPTP elects the Lok Sabha and the Assemblies; PR by single transferable vote elects the President, Vice-President, Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (4)
The Election Commission, voters and electoral rolls8 rows
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Article 324 | Election Commission controls electoral rolls and the conduct of elections |
| Article 325 | One general electoral roll per constituency, no exclusion by religion, race, caste or sex |
| Article 326 | Adult suffrage at 18 |
| Article 329 | An election can be challenged only by an election petition |
| cVIGIL | App to report breaches of the Model Code of ConductQ |
| EPIC | Photo identity cards for voters, from 1993Q |
| VVPAT | Voter Verifiable Paper Audit TrailQ |
| Overseas elector | Indian citizen, on the roll at the passport address, votes in personQ |
Recognition of political parties4 rows
| Category | How a party gets there |
|---|---|
| National party | State party in 4 States, or 6% votes in 4 States and 4 Lok Sabha seats, or 2% of Lok Sabha seats from 3 States |
| State party | Meets the vote or seat test in one State |
| Registered unrecognised party | Registered with the Commission but not yet recognised |
| Regional party | Not a category at allQ CDS 2020 (II): 'Regional Parties' was the item that is not a classified category. |
Delimitation of constituencies5 rows
| Exercise | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| First Delimitation Commission | 1952 | Under the Delimitation Commission Act of 1952 |
| Second | 1963 | After the 1961 census |
| Third | 1973 | After the 1971 census |
| Fourth | 2002 | Based on the 2001 census |
| Assam | 2023 | On the 2001 census; ST Assembly seats raised from 16 to 19Q CDS 2026 (II): the ST seats did go up, so only the 2001 census statement was correct. |
First past the post and proportional representation4 rows
| Point | First past the post | Proportional representation |
|---|---|---|
| Members per constituency | One | Can be more than one |
| Seats and votes | A party may win more or fewer seats than its vote share | Seats follow the vote share |
| Voter chooses | A candidate | Often a party list |
| Used in India for | Lok Sabha, State Assemblies | President, Vice-President, Rajya Sabha, Legislative CouncilsQ CDS 2022 (II): the President is elected by proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. |
Watch out for (6)
- The Model Code starts at the announcement→ The Election Commission, voters and electoral rolls
- Overseas voters must be present→ The Election Commission, voters and electoral rolls
- Regional is not a legal status→ Recognition of political parties
- The Election Commission does not make delimitation law→ Delimitation of constituencies
- The President is not elected by first past the post→ First past the post and proportional representation
- India uses both systems→ First past the post and proportional representation
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