5.7 Summary
Key Points
- Franchise means the right to vote. Universal adult franchise gives every citizen aged 18 and above the right to vote, without discrimination by caste, religion, gender, wealth or education. It is guaranteed by Article 326 of the Constitution.
- Adopting universal adult franchise was a bold choice: newly independent India was poor and had low literacy, yet it gave the vote to all adults at once, treating every citizen as politically equal. The voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 by the 61st Amendment (1989).
- Voting is by secret ballot, which protects citizens from intimidation and lets them vote freely. India moved from paper ballots to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), often with VVPAT slips. Party symbols help every voter, literate or not.
- Elections are direct (people vote directly, e.g., Lok Sabha and State Assemblies) or indirect (elected reps choose others, e.g., Rajya Sabha and the President). India uses First Past the Post, the candidate with the most votes wins.
- The Lok Sabha (House of the People) is directly elected with a term of up to 5 years; the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) is indirectly elected and is a permanent house, with one-third of members retiring every two years.
- The Election Commission of India is an independent body that organises and oversees elections and enforces the Model Code of Conduct to keep them free and fair. Its independence is essential to trustworthy results.
- Indian democracy faces challenges, the power of money, criminalisation of politics, voter apathy, misinformation, and appeals to caste and religion, met by strong institutions and, above all, by informed, active citizens.
One Sentence to Remember By giving every adult one equal vote, protected by secret ballots, fair machines and an independent Election Commission, India turned political equality into a daily reality, and keeping it strong is the duty of every active citizen.