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Q. 2) The fiscal and economic cost associated with frequent elections in India are enormous. Is simultaneous elections a solution? What are the concerns with it? (10 Marks)

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Swatantra

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  “Mentor’s Comments”
–https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/why-simultaneous-polls-is-an-idea-whose-time-has-come-7344586/
-In the intro, mention that the idea of simultaneous polls was first mooted in 1983.
-In Body write about various costs in term of lost time, cost overruns due to MCC, costs to the political parties, loss of leadership, cost due to poor or no delivery of welfare services etc.
In the concerns mention the circumstances in which govt. loses vote of confidence, advantage to the party that is in power in Centre.
-Conclude by mentioning that the time has come to consider the idea.

Comments

57 responses to “Q. 2) The fiscal and economic cost associated with frequent elections in India are enormous. Is simultaneous elections a solution? What are the concerns with it? (10 Marks)”

  1. Vishal Nagle Avatar
    Vishal Nagle

    Ref id 422329

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Vishal

      You have introduced and wrote about the fiscal and economic costs well, that is good. You can add some points like it will reduce the frequency of use of Ar 356 and hence strengthen in advantages. In challenges, don’t keep yourself limited to the scope of this article, you can articulate the challenges better. Some points-
      Political parties may spend entire fund at once rather than in phases.
      There would be no opportunity to dissolve Lok Sabha or State Assemblies which goes against article 83(2) ,172
      Negates the concept of ‘no confidence motion’ – an important tool for legislative control over the executive.
      Will curtail people’s right to express their confidence or displeasure on the government.
      Will relegate local issues or issues of state importance to the background, this completely ignores the diversity of the country.
      Security forces need to be deployed in large numbers-challenging task

      This will give a more balanced view in my opinion. In conclusion mention the major recommendation if you mention Sarkaria commision in 1 line, otherwise you can leave it.

      Good attempt though. Keep writing.

  2. subhashree mallick Avatar
    subhashree mallick

    pay_HH1EGxOD3EGEhl

    1. subhashree mallick Avatar
      subhashree mallick

      SO SORRY SIR, was unable to post the scanned copy pls do consider it and same ref id is not allowed to recomment pls consider it

    2. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Subhashree

      Decent attempt although I think you should give more space to advantages and disadvantages rather than intro and way forward.

      Some points like missing ministers etc you can get by reading the article mentioned above, go through it, in concerns you can give 1-2 line explanation for how it harms democracy, federalism as you have written these points.

      Rest of the answer is fine. Don’t limit yourself to comments given above, if you have good points you can add.Keep writing.

  3. Tanushree Choudhary Avatar
    Tanushree Choudhary

    #416440

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Tanushree

      You have written well but try to be a bit more balanced in the conclusion. You cannot be sure that there would not be any issue in conducting simultaneous elections, better to mention something like it’s an idea whose time has come etc. You can also mention some recommendation of Law commission etc. That will add much value to the answer.

      Also you can mention about things like no confidence motion- its role will become very unclear, things like effect on federalism can be also mentioned as national issues will get more prominence than local or state issues.

      Rest of the points you have covered. Keep writing.

  4. Sakshi Jain Avatar
    Sakshi Jain

    #0000416382

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Sakshi

      You have written too long introduction, write in 1-2 lines and focus more on benefits and concerns. Your concern part is very negligible, in order to take a balanced view you need to mention some points.

      Also, write about MCC which brings administrative freeze, lack of governance, populist measures parties take during frequent elections, ministers are busy with election rather than governance–these will improve with simultaneous election and your answer will also improve, more dimensions. Also write atleast 2-3 concerns such as irrelevance of no confidence motion, effect on federalism etc

      Its better to cover more points in such questions rather than explaining one point in much detail, so prioritize accordingly.

      Good effort. Keep writing.

  5. Gauri Shankar Meena Avatar
    Gauri Shankar Meena

    Payment Id pay_HHlJ1R1WIIMdGT

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Gauri Shankar

      You have written good answer, don’t write straightaway against the federal structure, we had federal elections till 1967- so you can put it in a better way, like concern for federalism and also short explanation can be given.

      You can also add a balanced conclusion, that will complete the answer.

      Rest of the points you have covered more or less, not much scope for changes.

      Keep writing, be consistent.

  6. Utkarsha Yadav Avatar
    Utkarsha Yadav

    Please review
    Payment Id pay_HHWzC2O9xhkaqA

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Utkarsha

      You have comprehensively listed all points mentioned in the article tagged above, but don’t keep yourself limited to the article.

      You have to write some disadvantages associated with simultaneous elections, you have written all positives only.It will be tough to take a balanced view in such case.

      I can give you the points here but I think you should go through the topic once comprehensively. First part, you have written very well. So not much issues there, use of diagrams is also good.

      Keep writing. Read some answers, you will get more perspectives.

  7. Anupam Singh Avatar
    Anupam Singh

    Refid#422544

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Anupam

      Please focus more on advantages and concerns, introduction can be cut short. Go through the above article once, mention the concerns about governance issue, model code of conduct, leaders focused on elections rather than welfare, also frequent populist measures etc.

      Also you can bring some constitutional dimensions to give a holistic view such as what happens to no confidence motion, federalism etc

      Content is lacking in this answer, you can work on it. Structure is good, introduction and way forward is okay. You can mention some recommendations of Law Commission, ECI etc in conclusion.

      Read some of the answers. Keep working.

  8. Naresh Venkat Saragadam Avatar
    Naresh Venkat Saragadam

    REF ID: #0000422921

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Naresh

      Good answer, you can write the merits part a bit better, write about MCC, populist measures the parties take frequently due to frequent elections, missing leadership etc

      In concerns, you have just mentioned the articles,that is good, you can also explain the problem in 1-2 line, that will give a better impression.

      Rest of the answer is good especially the way forward.

      Keep writing. Go through the above article once if you haven’t.

  9. Vivek H Avatar
    Vivek H

    Payment Id : 115213946268

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Vivek

      I think it is better to take a more balanced view in such questions, rather than straightaway saying yes, otherwise your justification should be pretty strong. You cannot skip concerns and give a view based on just advantages, that may backfire.

      You can add some concerns, especially constitutional dimensions like no confidence motion, Ar 83,172 etc – this will add immense value to the answer. Also, you can mention effect on federalism etc.

      Rest of the points are good, in conclusion you can say time to give a serious thought. Mention law commission, ECI views there. It will substantiate your view if you want to say yes.

      Good answer. Keep writing.

  10. Arpit Singh Avatar
    Arpit Singh

    Payment id HHU8LODcXby9Db

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Arpit

      Good answer, you have covered the points.

      Do some value additions, mention some constitutional articles(83,172), no-confidence motion and also write a bit about how federalism will be impacted. In some points, you have just mentioned the terms but no explanation.

      You can use hub-spoke diagrams to improve presentation.

      You have written well, keep writing.

  11. Harshaa Sharma Avatar
    Harshaa Sharma

    Idpay_HJ2s89guguFYwg

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Harshaa

      You need to follow a proper structure, otherwise hard work will be wasted.

      You haven’t given any conclusion, add law commission and ECI recommendations and take a balanced view on what should be done in conclusion.

      Also statements like preparation at a high level don’t hold much value, substantiate it by using examples such as logistics issues, needs heavy security deployment, long process etc. Also mention some constitutional problems. Give examples like constitution allows for dissolving of assemblies but it is not clear what will happen if simultaneous election were to take place.

      You have the content, just start following the format of intro-body-inclusion even if it doesn’t look perfect in starting. It will then be better to pin point the issues and work upon them for us.

      Keep writing.

  12. Ibrahim Saud Avatar
    Ibrahim Saud

    Plz review. Payment I’d- HJjaTzqssZMHUB

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Ibrahim

      You have made a good attempt, especially the introduction and advantages part. In concerns you need to work upon the content a little bit more. Some points like–
      Will curtail people’s right to express their confidence or displeasure on the government.
      Will relegate local issues or issues of state importance to the background, this completely ignores the diversity of the country.
      Security forces need to be deployed in large numbers-challenging task
      can be mentioned.

      This will also help you to form a more balanced opinion in the conclusion. Structure of the answer is good. Try to do some value addition like Law commission , ECI recommendation. This will add more weight to the answer.

      Keep writing. Read some other answers also.

  13. shivanshu pandey Avatar
    shivanshu pandey

    pay_HH4AoVE2qPd386 p.s review

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Shivanshu

      Your content is good but structure should be better. There is no conclusion, that is must in such questions. Use some ECI, law commission recommendations and put forward a balanced view in the conclusion.

      Also, I think the advantages, disadvantages structure is better in this question otherwise it gets mixed up. For e.g you have written a point like slap on federal structure, it is not clear whether you are writing it for present situation or if simultaneous elections are done- that situation.

      You have made good attempt but with same knowledge you can get some extra marks if presentation is better.

      Keep writing. Read some answers also.

  14. Dr. House Avatar
    Dr. House

    REF ID: #0000425733
    Please review

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Dr House,

      Good answer. Not much scope of improvement in this one I think . You can add some constitutional articles like 83,172 which allow for dissolving of house but it is not clear what happens in case of simultaneous elections.

      In conclusion, some Law commission recommendation etc can be added to increase value, otherwise it is a very good answer for 10 marks.

      Keep practicing.

  15. ankita thakur Avatar
    ankita thakur

    Payment id-HJHAZEWKSzM3CX

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Ankita

      You have written a decent answer. Introduction and conclusion are very good.
      I think you should explain the concerns in 1-2 lines each otherwise it seems very generic. You can add some constitutional articles like 83,172 which allow for dissolving of house but it is not clear what happens in case of simultaneous elections.

      Also try to complete the sentences. Go through the article above if you haven’t. Add points about model code of conduct, populist measures etc

      Try to enrich the content a bit more. Presentation is not an issue for you. Keep writing.

  16. shivanshu pandey Avatar
    shivanshu pandey

    Please check third page

  17. shivanshu pandey Avatar
    shivanshu pandey

    pay_HH4AoVE2qPd386 p

  18. Kartikey Singh Avatar
    Kartikey Singh

    pay_HHogiMPYpQ87sC

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Kartikey

      Good answer.

      Use recommendations of bodies like law commission, ECI etc in conclusion. In concerns you can use articles of constitution like 83,172 etc to argue that they allow for dissolving of houses. Also, mention about the current situation, it is difficult to build a consensus as different stages are at different stages of election cycle. That should be sufficient for a 10 mark question.

      Keep writing. You are doing very well.

  19. vamsidhar namburi Avatar
    vamsidhar namburi

    #0000422551
    Please review @Swatantra sir

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Vamsidhar

      Very good answer, I think for 10 marker this much should suffice. You can add points to increase content if it is a 15 mark question.

      Keep writing. You are writing well.

  20. M G Avatar
    M G

    Please review Q2
    ID num- 0000423898

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      M G,

      You have written a decent answer, focus on the cost part a bit more- how populist measures due to frequent elections, logistics etc are costly.

      In concerns you should mention about the current situation also where different states are differently placed in terms of election cycle and it very hard to bring consensus.

      Also mention about recommendations of Law commission, ECI etc. You can do that in conclusion and end on a balanced note.

      Structure is good, need to work a bit on the content. Keep practicing.

  21. Sonal Sharma Avatar
    Sonal Sharma

    #0000422288
    Kindly review

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Sonal

      Good answer, should be sufficient enough for a 10 marker, cut down unnecessary statements(complete parliamentary structure etc) for word limit. 2 pages for 10 marks questions is enough.

      Also mention the names of think tank like NITI and institutions like ECI directly, it is better. However, avoid if confused.

      Rest of the answer is good, you can mention a point about costs in concerns- it is not necessary that cost for political parties/campaign will reduce as parties will try to spend all money in go only which happens in phases now-a-days.

      Keep writing. You are doing well.

  22. AABHA RANI Avatar
    AABHA RANI

    Razor payment id:- HHOoNABVzCCLcD

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Aabha

      Mention more points about costs in the part- costs for exchequer for conducting election, frequent populist measures by leaders has a fiscal impact, costs to political parties, administrative costs due to MCC etc- you have to substantiate the statement given.

      Also in conclusion better to take a balanced view rather than saying yes/no, mention recommendation of bodies like Niti aayog, ECI, law commission etc This will add more value to your answer.

      Good attempt. Keep writing, read some other answers also.

  23. SUMITA DOWERAH Avatar
    SUMITA DOWERAH

    Payment Id
    pay HFrdyJMOEZ9967
    Please review, Sir.

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Sumita

      Very good answer, you have mentioned most of the points. Mention name of the bodies which have recommended such as ECI, Niti Aayog, law commission etc

      You can mention a point about costs in concerns- it is not necessary that cost for political parties/campaign will reduce as parties will try to spend all money in one go only which happens in phases now-a-days.

      Keep writing. You are writing very well.

  24. Rohan Sinha Avatar
    Rohan Sinha

    Order number #0000420396
    @swatantra

  25. Rohan Sinha Avatar
    Rohan Sinha

    Order number #0000420396
    @swatantra

    Pls ignore previous comment

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Rohan

      Very good answer, you have mentioned most of the points.

      You can mention a point about costs in concerns- it is not necessary that cost for political parties/campaign will reduce as parties will try to spend all money in one go only which happens in phases now-a-days. Also mention constitutional articles like 83,172, no-confidence motion amendments required.

      Keep writing. You are doing well.

  26. Mradul sharma Avatar
    Mradul sharma

    Id- #0000422539

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Mradul

      Written well, in conclusion you can mention about recommendations of ECI, Niti , Law commissions etc. for value-addition.

      Also in concerns mention about the current situation where different states are at different positions in the election cycle, very hard to build a consensus. That is the first and foremost concern.

      Rest of the points are very good. Keep writing.

  27. Rupesh Kumar Pandey Avatar
    Rupesh Kumar Pandey

    #0000416426
    Please review

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Rupesh

      Good answer. Mention more points about costs in the first part- costs for exchequer for conducting election, frequent populist measures by leaders has a fiscal impact, costs to political parties, administrative costs due to MCC etc- you have to substantiate the statement given.

      Also in way forward, quote the source if possible, it will be better. Mention of recommendations etc always adds much value in gs2 papers.

      Rest of the answer is good, keep writing.

  28. Jaya Ratnasami Avatar
    Jaya Ratnasami

    0000382105

    1. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Jaya

      The 2nd part of the answer is very good, in 1st part connect the draw backs of present system with costs. It is better to substantiate the statement given in question.

      You can mention frequent populist measures by leaders has a fiscal impact, costs to political parties, administrative costs due to MCC etc

      In conclusion try to mention some recommendations of law commission, ECI etc , that will add more weight to the answer.

      Keep writing. Read some other answers.

  29. Vishnu Agrawal Avatar
    Vishnu Agrawal

    Order id: 0000422561

    1. Vishnu Agrawal Avatar
      Vishnu Agrawal

      @swatantra sir kindly review

    2. Swatantra Avatar
      Swatantra

      Vishnu

      You have written well, covered almost all points. In concerns you can mention articles 83, 172 etc, that allow dismissal of governments. Also confusion regarding no confidence motion can be mentioned.

      Rest of the answer is fine, not possible to expand much as it is a 10 marker.

      Keep writing. 🙂

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