Elections and representation — UPSC Prelims PYQs
16 questions in this bank come from Elections and representation, spanning UPSC Prelims papers from 2012 to 2026. Every question here carries all four options, the correct answer and a full explanation.
It has appeared in 10 of the last 16 papers, most heavily in 2017 with 4 questions. That is a steady presence rather than a guaranteed one.
The themes examined most often within it are Elections and Electoral Processes (5), Eligibility and Disqualification in Elections (5), Representation of states in Rajya Sabha (5), Presidential Elections and Vote Value (3) and Division of powers in Indian federalism (2). Those counts are of questions in which the theme is examined, not merely mentioned.
Questions here are spread across Polity & Governance (14), History (1) and Science & Technology (1). Between them they draw on 16 distinct themes, so this is a broader area than a single revision note can cover. That is 1.1% of the 1433 questions in the bank — useful for deciding how much revision time it deserves.
Its weight has held steady, at roughly 0.8 questions a year across the last five papers.
It was not examined in 6 of those papers. Each question below links to its full explanation and to related questions on the same theme from other years, so a weak area can be worked through in one pass rather than hunted for paper by paper.
UPSC Prelims 20261 question
UPSC Prelims 20232 questions
- Polity & Governance
Consider the following statements: 1. If the election of the President of India is declared void by the Supreme Court of India, all acts done by him/ her in the performance of duties of his/her office of President before the date of decision become invalid. 2. Elections for the post of the President of India can be postponed on the ground that some Legislative Assemblies have been dissolved and elections are yet to take place. 3. When a Bill is presented to the President of India, the Constitution prescribes time limits within which he/ she has to declare his/her assent. How many of the above statements are correct?
- Polity & Governance
Consider the following statements in respect of election to the President of India: 1. The members nominated to either House of the Parliament or the Legislative Assemblies of States are also eligible to be included in the Electoral College. 2. Higher the number of elective Assembly seats, higher is the value of vote of each MLA of that State. 3. The value of vote of each MLA of Madhya Pradesh is greater than that of Kerala. 4. The value of vote of each MLA of Puducherry is higher than that of Arunachal Pradesh because the ratio of total population to total number of elective seats in Puducherry is greater as compared to Arunachal Pradesh. How many of the above statements are correct?
UPSC Prelims 20221 question
UPSC Prelims 20212 questions
- Polity & Governance
Consider the following statements: 1. In India, there is no law restricting the candidates from contesting in one Lok Sabha election from three constituencies. 2. In the 1991 Lok Sabha Election, Shri Devi Lal contested from three Lok Sabha constituencies. 3. As per the existing rules, if a candidate contests in one Lok Sabha election from many constituencies, his/ her party should bear the cost of bye-elections to the constituencies vacated by him/her in the event of him/ her winning in all the constituencies. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Polity & Governance
With reference to India, consider the following statements: 1. There is only one citizenship and one domicile. 2. A citizen by birth only can become the Head of State. 3. A foreigner once granted citizenship cannot be deprived of it under any circumstances. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
UPSC Prelims 20201 question
UPSC Prelims 20191 question
UPSC Prelims 20181 question
UPSC Prelims 20174 questions
- Polity & Governance
Consider the following statements: 1. In the election for Lok Sabha or State Assembly, the winning candidate must get at least 50 percent of the votes polled, to be declared elected. 2. According to the provisions laid down in the Constitution of India, in Lok Sabha, the Speaker’s post goes to the majority party and the Deputy Speaker’s to the Opposition. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Polity & Governance
Right to vote and to be elected in India is a
- Polity & Governance
Which one of the following is not a feature to Indian federalism?
- Polity & Governance
For election to the Lok Sabha, a nomination paper can be filed by:
UPSC Prelims 20132 questions
- History
With reference to Indian History, the Members of the Constituent Assembly from the Provinces were:
- Polity & Governance
Consider the following statements: 1. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha are not the members of that House. 2. While the nominated members of the two Houses of the Parliament have no voting right in the presidential election, they have the right to vote in the election of the Vice President. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
