NCERT Class 8 Social Science Exploring Society India and Beyond Part 1 Chapter 05 Universal Franchise and Indias Electoral System PDF Download

Chapter 5: Universal Franchise and India's Electoral System

[India] adopted the principle of adult franchise with an abundant faith in the common man and the ultimate success of democratic rule...never before in the history of the world has such an experiment been so boldly undertaken."

- Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar
November 1949, Constituent Assembly Debates

The Big Questions

1. What is universal adult franchise?
2. What is an electoral system?
3. How does India's electoral system work?

[Figure 5.1: Headlines of major newspapers during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, See in your textbook]

Universal Adult Franchise

The Constitution makers decided that universal adult franchise would be a feature of Indian democracy right from the outset. This means that every adult citizen gets one vote, and all votes have equal value. Hence, every Indian citizen aged 18 and above has the right to vote - irrespective of caste, creed, race, religion, gender, education, income, etc. The word 'universal' connotes this.

Let's Explore

India changed the minimum age for voting from 21 to 18 in 1988. Discuss whether this was a good move.

Universal franchise is a cornerstone of Indian democracy. Elections to the Lok Sabha, the legislative assembly of every state and union territory, and all the local elections in villages and cities are based on universal franchise (Article 326 of the Constitution). Remember that no one can vote on another's behalf.

Can you calculate how long you have to wait before you can vote?

To be able to exercise your right, you need to be registered as a voter in your constituency. However, one is barred from voting if found guilty of committing certain serious crimes.

[Figure 5.2: Illustration showing voting celebration and democratic participation, See in your textbook]

Teacher's Note

Universal franchise means every adult citizen has equal voting power, regardless of their background or wealth. In exams, when asked why this matters, remember to mention that it ensures no group is left out of democracy and every person's voice counts equally in choosing leaders.

Do you remember India had a general election in the summer of 2024? Over 968 million voters were eligible to exercise their franchise for the 543 constituencies of the Lok Sabha.

Don't Miss Out

India has 3.1 million elected representatives (1.3 million of them women) in more than 250,000 local government bodies across India. All these are democratically elected through universal adult franchise.

We need an elaborate and well-organised system to manage this massive exercise and ensure that the elections take place fairly and freely. In this chapter, we will briefly explore who can vote, a few of the types of elections we have, the electoral system, and how it is organised.

Don't Miss Out

• Before Independence, around 13 per cent of Indians were allowed to vote, and franchise was not universal. We will delve more into this in another part of the textbook.
• India was among the early nations to grant women the right to vote, ahead of many others around the world. For example, women were given the right to vote in Switzerland only in 1971. Women fought long and hard in many countries to win this fundamental democratic right. In India, on the other hand, a progressive constitutional vision and deep democratic values rooted in India's ancient traditions ensured women had voting rights from the very beginning.

[Figure 5.3: Women's suffrage parade, USA, 1913, See in your textbook]

Teacher's Note

India's choice to give women voting rights from 1950 was remarkable compared to many other democracies. When you answer questions about India's democratic values, mention this as evidence that our constitution was forward-thinking and inclusive from the start, even though social equality had to be fought for separately.

Key Points

• Universal adult franchise means every citizen aged 18 and above can vote equally, regardless of caste, religion, gender, education or income, and this has been a feature of India's democracy since 1950.
• India was among the first nations in the world to grant women the right to vote, showing a progressive constitutional vision rooted in democratic values.
• Managing elections with over 968 million voters across thousands of constituencies requires an elaborate and well-organised electoral system to ensure fairness and freedom.

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