Question

Which one of the following methods is followed in electing the President of India?

• A. Proportional Representation only
• B. First-Past-the-Post System only
• C. Proportional Representation and Single Transferable Vote System
• D. Proportional Representation and First-Past-the-Post System

Hint:

In the Indian Presidential election, voters cast their votes in order of preference, and the system ensures that each vote is counted for the candidate who has the most support, even if it's not the initial choice.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The President of India is elected using the Proportional Representation system along with the Single Transferable Vote (STV) method. This system ensures that the votes are distributed proportionally among the candidates, with preference votes considered in the process.

Answer 2

The President of India is elected using the method of Proportional Representation by means of the Single Transferable Vote (STV) System. This system ensures that the election is fair and reflective of the varied representation across states and the Union.

Electoral College:
The President is elected by an electoral college consisting of:
- The elected members of both Houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha)
- The elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of all States and Union Territories (with legislatures)

Proportional Representation:
Under this system, votes are weighted. The value of each vote differs:
- For MLAs, the vote value is based on the population of the respective state as per the 1971 Census.
- For MPs, the vote value is calculated by dividing the total value of all MLA votes by the total number of elected MPs.

Single Transferable Vote (STV) System:
Each voter ranks candidates in order of preference. If no candidate gets the required majority in the first round, the votes are transferred to the second preference and so on, until a candidate secures the quota of votes necessary to be elected.

Conclusion:
The correct method followed in electing the President of India is Proportional Representation by means of the Single Transferable Vote System, ensuring a balanced and representative outcome.