One Nation One Election MCQs

According to the Law Commission's 2018 draft report, what percentage of States' ratification is required for constitutional amendments facilitating simultaneous elections?

Two-thirds
Seventy-five
Fifty percent
Unanimous

Explanation: Because simultaneous elections inherently affect the powers and terms of state legislatures, the Law Commission noted that it falls under the purview of Article 368(2) proviso, requiring ratification by at least half of the states.

The "One Nation, One Election" concept necessitates altering the terms of state assemblies. Which fundamental basic structure principle do critics argue this violates?

Separation of powers
Principle of Secularism
Federalism
Rule of Law doctrine

Explanation: Critics argue that prematurely dissolving state assemblies or extending their terms to sync with the national cycle undermines federalism and state autonomy, a basic feature of the Constitution.

The Kovind committee report states that implementing simultaneous elections will boost the GDP by preventing the disruption of:

Capital Expenditure
Policy Paralysis
Supply Chains
Tax Growth

Explanation: The report argued that frequent elections halt government machinery and public spending due to the Model Code of Conduct, thereby stalling crucial capital expenditure and lowering economic growth.

The 'One Nation, One Election' proposal necessitates a unified Electoral Roll, amending which Article that deals with separate rolls?

Provision 327
Electoral Rule 328
Art 326
Article 325

Explanation: Article 325 guarantees a general electoral roll for every territorial constituency. Modifying this is necessary to ensure the State Election Commissions use the exact same roll as the ECI for local body polls.

Which major democracy conducts simultaneous elections for its federal, state, and local governments every four years on the second Sunday of September?

Kingdom of Sweden
Australia
Dominion of Canada
Republic of Germany

Explanation: Sweden uses a highly stable model of proportional representation to hold simultaneous elections for its Riksdag (parliament), county councils, and municipal councils on a fixed four-year cycle.

The Constitution currently allows the extension of the Lok Sabha's term by law for one year at a time ONLY during a:

Nationwide Financial Emergency
Direct Presidential Rule
Constitutional State Emergency
Proclamation of Emergency

Explanation: Article 83(2) allows the term of the Lok Sabha to be extended by Parliament by law for a period not exceeding one year at a time, but only while a Proclamation of National Emergency is in operation.

Which major national political party submitted a memorandum strongly opposing the ONOE policy, calling it contrary to federalism?

DMK
Communist Party
Indian National Congress
Trinamool Congress

Explanation: The Indian National Congress, along with several regional parties like the TMC and DMK, submitted objections to the Kovind Committee, viewing the policy as an assault on the Constitution's federal structure.

If an amendment to Article 83 is made to allow for a truncated Lok Sabha term to restore synchronization, it would require a constitutional amendment under:

Article 368 clause 1
Ordinary legislative process under Article 4
Special majority and half state ratification
Special majority without ratification

Explanation: Amending Article 83 (Duration of Houses of Parliament) requires a special majority in both houses under Article 368(2), but it does not fall under the proviso requiring ratification by the States.

Who headed the Law Commission that produced the 170th Report advocating simultaneous elections?

Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy
Justice A.P. Shah
Justice B.S. Chauhan
Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi

Explanation: The 170th Report of the Law Commission (1999) on the Reform of Electoral Laws, which proposed simultaneous elections to ensure stability, was submitted under the chairmanship of Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy.

South Africa conducts simultaneous elections for its national assembly and provincial legislatures using which electoral system?

Mixed Member Proportional
Two Round Rule
List Proportional
First Past The Post System

Explanation: Unlike India's FPTP system, South Africa holds simultaneous elections using a 'List Proportional Representation' system, where voters vote for a party list rather than individual candidates.

To prevent premature dissolution due to a no-confidence motion, the Law Commission suggested adopting which system from Germany?

Chancellor Motion
Constructive Vote
Trust Mandate
Confidence Rule

Explanation: The Law Commission recommended the 'Constructive Vote of No-Confidence', where a government can only be removed if the opposition simultaneously demonstrates a majority to form an alternative government.

The Kovind Committee recommended amending which Article to enable a single electoral roll prepared by the ECI in consultation with SECs?

Article 325
Article 324(1)
Article 243K
Article 243ZA

Explanation: Article 325 guarantees a general electoral roll for every territorial constituency. The committee recommended amending it to allow the Election Commission of India to prepare a unified roll for all three tiers of government.

The Election Commission of India has stated that to hold simultaneous elections, the life of EVMs and VVPATs is a crucial factor. What is their estimated lifespan?

Exactly ten years
Twenty years
Fifteen years
Twelve years

Explanation: The ECI estimates the lifespan of EVMs and VVPATs to be 15 years, meaning they could only be used for three cycles of simultaneous elections before needing total replacement.

Which constitutional mechanism allows the Union government to dismiss a state government, thereby disrupting synchronized election cycles?

Article 356
Financial Crisis 360
Art 352
President Rule 365

Explanation: Article 356 (President's Rule) allows the Centre to dismiss a state government and dissolve the assembly. Its frequent use in the past was a primary reason the original simultaneous cycle was broken.

A common electoral roll for all tiers of government would require an amendment to Article 325, to be initiated by the:

President
Election Commission
State Legislature
Union Parliament

Explanation: Any amendment to the Constitution, including Article 325 regarding electoral rolls, can only be initiated by introducing a bill in either House of the Union Parliament.

The first Constitutional Amendment Bill proposed by the Kovind Committee, which synchronizes Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, requires:

State ratification
Presidential reference
Unanimous consent
No state ratification

Explanation: The Kovind panel controversially concluded that amending the Constitution strictly to synchronize the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies does not fall under Article 368(2) proviso and thus needs no state ratification.

In the context of premature dissolution of the Assembly under synchronized elections, what happens to the new Assembly?

Serves Remainder
Until Next General
President Rule
Full Five Year Term

Explanation: To maintain synchronization, if a state assembly is dissolved prematurely, the newly elected assembly will only serve the 'unexpired term' of the previous assembly, not a full five-year term.

The Kovind committee suggested a two-step process. Step one synchronizes Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. Step two synchronizes:

By Elections
Rajya Sabha Elections
Presidential Polls
Panchayat and Municipal

Explanation: The committee proposed a two-step approach: first, synchronizing the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, and second, synchronizing the elections to Municipalities and Panchayats.

For conducting simultaneous elections to local bodies alongside national/state elections, ratification is required by how many States?

Three Fourths
Not Required
Half the States
Two Thirds Majority

Explanation: Because local bodies are a state subject, constitutional amendments concerning their elections (like introducing a single electoral roll and synchronized timing) require ratification by at least half the states.

The Kovind Committee suggested that if a No-Confidence Motion is passed, the newly constituted Lok Sabha will serve:

A fresh 5-year term
Until the next census
A minimum of 3 years
Only the unexpired term

Explanation: To preserve synchronization, the Kovind Committee recommended that a Lok Sabha or State Assembly elected after a premature dissolution will only serve for the unexpired term of the previous house.

Which section of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, deals with the notification for Lok Sabha elections and needs modification?

Provision 15
Section 29A
Electoral Rule 32
Sec 14

Explanation: Section 14 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 provides for the notification of general elections to the Lok Sabha and would require amendments to reflect fixed synchronization rules.

The terms of the first Lok Sabha and State Assemblies were synchronized because they were constituted after the first general elections held in:

1951-1952
Years 1949-1950
Cycle of 1952-1953
During 1950-1951

Explanation: The original synchronization occurred naturally as the first general elections to both the Lok Sabha and all Vidhan Sabhas were held simultaneously between October 1951 and February 1952.

To implement simultaneous elections, changes to the Representation of the People Act, 1951 are necessary. Does this require ratification by the states under Article 368(2)?

No, not required
Special majority rule
Yes, all the states
Yes, half of the states

Explanation: Amendments to statutory laws like the Representation of the People Act, 1951, do not require constitutional ratification by the states, unlike amendments to specific Articles mentioned in the proviso to Article 368(2).

The NITI Aayog's 2017 discussion paper supporting simultaneous elections was authored by?

Arvind Panagariya
Bibek Debroy
Rajiv Kumar
Suman Bery

Explanation: Bibek Debroy and Kishore Desai authored the widely cited NITI Aayog discussion paper in 2017 titled 'Analysis of Simultaneous Elections: The What, Why and How'.

If local body elections are synchronized, they must be held within what timeframe of the general elections as per the Kovind report?

Exactly Concurrent
Within 100 Days
Simultaneously
Within Six Months

Explanation: The Kovind committee recommended that elections to municipalities and panchayats should be synchronized so that they are held within 100 days of the Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections.

The 255th Report of the Law Commission (2015), which discussed electoral reforms including election funding, was headed by:

Justice Ajit Prakash Shah
Justice B.S. Chauhan
Justice R.V. Raveendran
Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma

Explanation: The 255th Report, a landmark document on electoral reform that touched upon the logistics and funding complexities of modern Indian elections, was chaired by Justice A.P. Shah.

Which Constitutional Article deals with the duration of the Houses of Parliament and needs amendment for simultaneous elections?

Article 172
Provision 356
Electoral Art 324
Art 83

Explanation: Article 83 deals with the duration of the Houses of Parliament. Clause (2) specifies the five-year term of the Lok Sabha, which would need amendments to allow for curtailment or extension.

Critics of simultaneous elections often cite a 2015 IDFC Institute study showing that when elections are held together, voters are more likely to:

Select independent candidates
Vote for completely different parties
Boycott the elections entirely
Choose to vote for the same party

Explanation: The IDFC Institute study analyzed historical data and concluded that there is a 77% chance that an Indian voter will vote for the same party at the state and national levels if elections are simultaneous.

To facilitate simultaneous elections, the power of the Governor to dissolve the state assembly under Article 174(2)(b) would:

Be subject to synchronization rules
Be abolished entirely via an amendment
Be transferred to the President
Remain completely unchanged

Explanation: While the Governor would still hold the power to dissolve the assembly mid-term, doing so would only trigger an election for the 'unexpired term', effectively placing limits on the outcome of the dissolution.

What specific legal term is used in the Kovind report to describe the initial date set by the President to trigger synchronization?

Notification Date
Target Day
Appointed Date
Synchronized Day

Explanation: The committee suggested that the President notify an 'Appointed Date'. State assemblies constituted after this date would have their terms expire alongside the subsequent Lok Sabha.

Simultaneous elections would require amending Article 324, which primarily deals with the powers of the:

Election Commission
Delimitation Panel
Parliament
Supreme Court

Explanation: Article 324 vests the superintendence, direction, and control of elections in the Election Commission of India. Its logistics and mandate would heavily expand under simultaneous elections.

Which Article pertains to the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly by the Governor, requiring amendment?

Provision 356
Article 172
Art 174
Governor Power 153

Explanation: Article 174(2)(b) empowers the Governor to dissolve the Legislative Assembly of the State. This power would need to be restricted to ensure state terms align with the national cycle.

Article 356 has been invoked over 100 times. How does the "One Nation, One Election" framework treat an assembly dissolved under this article?

It triggers early Lok Sabha polls
The state is ruled by the Centre for 5 years
New assembly serves only the unexpired term
The Supreme Court manages the state

Explanation: Even if an assembly is dissolved under Article 356, the subsequent elections will not grant a fresh 5-year mandate. The new government will only serve the remainder of the original synchronized term.

A major argument against simultaneous elections is that it blurs the line between national issues and:

Local State Issues
Urban Policy
Panchayat Matters
Border Disputes

Explanation: Critics argue that simultaneous elections subvert federalism by causing national issues to overshadow local and regional issues, potentially disadvantaging regional political parties.

In the UK, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 was enacted to ensure stable election cycles, but it was later repealed in:

Repealed in 2019
Repealed in 2015
Year 2022
In 2020

Explanation: The UK enacted the Fixed-term Parliaments Act to provide stability similar to simultaneous cycles, but it proved inflexible and was repealed in 2022 by the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act.

According to the Election Commission's estimate in 2015, what was the approximate cost to procure EVMs and VVPATs for simultaneous elections?

Ten Thousand Crore
Rs 4500 Cr
Rs 15000 Crore
Rs 9284 Crore

Explanation: The Election Commission of India estimated that Rs 9,284.15 crore would be needed to procure the massive number of additional EVMs and VVPATs required to hold simultaneous elections.

Which Article of the Constitution guarantees that there shall be one general electoral roll for every territorial constituency?

Article 326 provision
Article 325
Article 327 mandate
Article 324 mechanism

Explanation: Article 325 explicitly states there shall be one general electoral roll for every territorial constituency and prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, or sex.

Which constitutional provision states that the Legislative Assembly of every State, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting?

Article 356 emergency
Article 83(2) duration
Article 174(2) dissolution
Article 172(1) provision

Explanation: Article 172(1) establishes the five-year term of the State Legislative Assemblies. This is one of the primary articles that would require an amendment to allow for 'unexpired terms' under a simultaneous system.

Which body is responsible for conducting elections to Panchayats and Municipalities, complicating the idea of a single synchronized national election?

Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Delimitation Commission
Election Commission of India
State Election Commissions

Explanation: Under Articles 243K and 243ZA, elections to local bodies are the exclusive domain of State Election Commissions, which operate independently of the Election Commission of India.

Under a synchronized setup, if a State Assembly completes its unexpired term, this period is officially termed by the Kovind committee as:

Residual Period
Unexpired Term
Remaining Tenure
Bridge Phase

Explanation: The committee strictly uses the phrase 'unexpired term' to describe the remaining duration of a prematurely dissolved assembly, ensuring the overall cycle is not reset.

The second Constitutional Amendment Bill proposed by the Kovind Committee, dealing with local bodies and a single electoral roll, explicitly requires:

Absolute majority
Ratification by half the states
Two-thirds state ratification
Special majority only

Explanation: Because local governments are a State Subject, any constitutional amendment integrating their elections into a national framework requires ratification by the legislatures of not less than one-half of the States.

According to the Kovind Committee, if the Election Commission is unable to hold State Assembly elections simultaneously with the Lok Sabha, what power does it recommend?

ECI can recommend a brief delay
President dissolves the assembly
Parliament imposes an emergency
Governor legally extends term

Explanation: If it is not possible to conduct elections simultaneously for a particular assembly, the ECI can recommend to the President to notify a separate date, but the assembly's term will still end with the Lok Sabha.

Which Indian state's assembly term naturally coincided with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, demonstrating simultaneous polls in action?

State of Andhra Pradesh
State of Rajasthan
The State of Madhya Pradesh
State of Chhattisgarh

Explanation: Andhra Pradesh, along with Odisha, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, already has an assembly election cycle that syncs perfectly with the Lok Sabha elections.

How many states currently have election cycles roughly synchronized with the Lok Sabha elections?

Four States
Seven States
Five
Two Assemblies

Explanation: Currently, only four states—Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim—have their assembly elections held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections.

To synchronize elections, the terms of existing State Assemblies might need to be artificially curtailed or extended via a:

Special Constitutional Amendment
Executive Action
Constitutional Amendment
Presidential Ordinance

Explanation: Adjusting the term of an existing State Legislative Assembly beyond its normal 5-year tenure, or curtailing it, cannot be done by ordinary law; it requires a Constitutional Amendment.

One proposed solution to a hung assembly without dissolving it is to allow the largest party to form a:

Caretaker Group
Interim Body
Coalition Arrangement
Minority Government

Explanation: To prevent mid-term elections in case of a hung assembly, proponents suggest allowing the single largest party to form a minority government, provided they can pass basic financial bills.

Which global body's electoral models did the Kovind Committee study to justify the feasibility of holding simultaneous elections in India?

United States
South Africa
European Union
United Kingdom

Explanation: The Kovind Committee extensively studied the electoral systems of South Africa, Sweden, and Germany, as these nations successfully manage synchronized or fixed-term elections across different tiers of government.

What mechanism did the NITI Aayog discussion paper propose to deal with a situation where a government loses its majority mid-term?

National Government
Referendum
Constructive No-Confidence
President's Rule

Explanation: Borrowed from Germany, the constructive vote of no-confidence requires the opposition to propose a viable alternative government with a proven majority before removing the incumbent one, ensuring stability.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice backed simultaneous elections in which year?

During 2019
Committee of 2010
Year 2015
Report in 2018

Explanation: In December 2015, the 79th Report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee examined the feasibility and strongly endorsed the idea of holding simultaneous elections.

How many Constitutional Amendments did the Kovind Committee recommend to implement simultaneous elections?

One comprehensive amendment
Five individual articles
Three distinct bills
Two separate amendment bills

Explanation: The Committee recommended two separate bills: one to synchronize the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies (which doesn't require state ratification), and another for local bodies and a single electoral roll (which does require ratification).

The "Appointed Date" for synchronization of elections, as recommended by the Kovind panel, is to be notified by the:

Chief Justice
Prime Minister
Election Commission
President of India

Explanation: The committee recommended that the President of India should issue a notification setting an 'Appointed Date' after which all new state assemblies would have terms that expire concurrently with the Lok Sabha.

Simultaneous elections were the norm in India until which general election cycle?

1967 Elections
1971 General Polls
1962 Cycle
1977 Ballots

Explanation: Elections to the Lok Sabha and all State Legislative Assemblies were held simultaneously in 1951-52, 1957, 1962, and 1967. The cycle broke when some state assemblies were dissolved prematurely in 1968 and 1969.

The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) disrupts governance during elections. Simultaneous elections aim to reduce its application to how many weeks?

Four Weeks Only
Around Six Weeks
Almost Twelve Weeks
Two Weeks

Explanation: Proponents argue that holding elections once every five years restricts the disruptive period of the MCC to just one window of about six to eight weeks, instead of multiple times a year.

Which committee recently submitted a comprehensive report on 'One Nation, One Election' in 2024?

Law Commission
Santhanam Panel
Justice Verma
Kovind Committee

Explanation: The High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, submitted its detailed report to the President in March 2024.

Which country allows its parliament to serve a fixed four-year term, providing a model for avoiding mid-term polls?

Australia
Sweden
New Zealand
United Kingdom

Explanation: Sweden holds elections to its national parliament (Riksdag), county councils, and municipal councils simultaneously every four years, with a fixed term providing high stability.

To synchronize elections, the Kovind panel recommended introducing which new Article to the Constitution?

Art 324A
Article 328A
Clause 324B
New Article 329B

Explanation: The committee recommended inserting a new Article 324A to empower Parliament to make laws ensuring simultaneous elections for panchayats and municipalities with national elections.

Which Law Commission report first formally proposed holding simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies in 1999?

180th Document
114th Commission
Report 255
170th Report

Explanation: The 170th Report of the Law Commission of India (1999) on 'Reform of the Electoral Laws' explicitly proposed holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

A synchronized election cycle was initially broken in 1959 when the Centre used Article 356 to dismiss the government in which state?

Kerala
West Bengal
Tripura
Andhra Pradesh

Explanation: The cycle of simultaneous elections was first disrupted when the Union Government invoked Article 356 (President's Rule) to dismiss the democratically elected E.M.S. Namboodiripad government in Kerala in 1959.

Article 327 empowers Parliament to make provisions with respect to elections to legislatures. Can this power override the basic structure?

Only during an Emergency
Yes, completely
No, it is subject to the Constitution
With Presidential assent

Explanation: Article 327 begins with the clause 'Subject to the provisions of this Constitution,' meaning Parliament's power to legislate on elections cannot violate federalism or basic structure doctrines.

How does the "One Nation, One Election" proposal aim to impact the operation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC)?

Make it a permanent statute
Transfer its enforcement to courts
Reduce its disruptive duration
Eliminate it completely

Explanation: Because the MCC effectively stalls new government policies and capital expenditures during campaigns, simultaneous elections aim to confine this disruption to one short period every five years.

One Nation One Election Practice

Study Material

Performance Summary

Choose a Topic to Start Practice

Daily Current Affairs