Chapter 5 — Universal Franchise and India's Electoral System

Universal adult franchise means every Indian citizen aged 18 and above has the right to vote — one person, one vote of equal value — irrespective of caste, religion, gender, education, or income (Article 326). India's elections are managed by the Election Commission of India, which conducts Lok Sabha, state assembly, Rajya Sabha, and presidential elections.

Chapter 5 of Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Class 8) covers universal adult franchise — every citizen aged 18 and above gets one equal vote regardless of caste, religion, gender, education, or income, as guaranteed by Article 326. India reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 in 1988. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections had about 980 million eligible voters across 543 constituencies and over 1 million polling stations. The Election Commission of India (ECI), established in 1950, oversees all these elections. India uses First-Past-the-Post for Lok Sabha and state elections. Rajya Sabha members are elected indirectly by MLAs, while the President is chosen by an Electoral College using the single transferable vote system. Challenges include money influence in elections, candidates with criminal records, and voter apathy.

1. 01Universal adult franchise guarantees every citizen aged 18 and above one equal vote regardless of caste, creed, race, religion, gender, education, or income; governed by Article 326 of the Constitution.
2. 02India lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 in 1988; before Independence only 13 per cent of Indians were allowed to vote.
3. 03The Election Commission of India (ECI), established in 1950, sets election dates, registers political parties, enforces the Model Code of Conduct, and oversees all elections including those for the President and Vice President.
4. 04The 2024 Lok Sabha elections covered 543 constituencies (84 reserved for SCs, 47 for STs) with about 980 million eligible voters and over 1 million polling stations.
5. 05India uses the First-Past-the-Post system — the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins even without securing 50 per cent of total votes.
6. 06Of the 245 Rajya Sabha members, 233 are elected indirectly by MLAs using the single transferable vote system; the President nominates 12. The Rajya Sabha is never dissolved and members serve six-year terms.
7. 07The President is elected by an Electoral College of MPs from both Houses and MLAs from states and the UTs of Delhi and Puducherry, using the single transferable vote system.
8. 08India uses Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) paired with VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail); India's EVM technology has been adopted in countries like Namibia and Bhutan.