Question 1

If a state government falls and fresh elections are held, the new Chief Minister will get a full 5-year term.

Accepted Answer

Under the amended Article 172, the new state assembly will only serve the 'unexpired term' of the previous assembly to ensure the state goes to polls again alongside the next Lok Sabha.

Question 2

The Election Commission of India will independently declare the starting date for simultaneous elections.

Accepted Answer

The power to notify the 'appointed date' that triggers the synchronization process is explicitly vested in the President of India under the proposed Article 82A, not the Election Commission.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024: 
1. It proposes to insert Article 82A to empower the Election Commission of India to notify the 'appointed date' for simultaneous elections. 
2. It amends Article 327 to explicitly include the 'conduct of simultaneous elections' within Parliament's legislative domain. 
3. It mandates that any State Assembly constituted after a premature dissolution will serve only the 'unexpired term' of the previous assembly. 
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

(b) Only two — Statement 1 is incorrect because the proposed Article 82A empowers the President of India (not the ECI) to issue the notification for the 'appointed date'. Statement 2 is correct; the phrase 'conduct of simultaneous elections' is added to Article 327. Statement 3 is correct; amendments to Article 172 introduce the 'unexpired term' to maintain synchronization. Thus, exactly two statements are correct.

Question 4

Match the proposed constitutional changes in the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 (List I) with their specific provisions (List II):

List I:
A. Article 82A
B. Amendment to Article 83
C. Amendment to Article 172
D. Amendment to Article 327

List II:
1. Curtails the tenure of mid-term State Legislative Assemblies to the unexpired term.
2. Empowers Parliament to make laws specifically for the conduct of simultaneous elections.
3. Establishes the 'appointed date' for synchronization and deferment powers.
4. Restricts mid-term Lok Sabhas to serving only the remainder of the 5-year cycle.

Accepted Answer

(a) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2 — Article 82A is the newly inserted provision dealing with the synchronization timeline and the 'appointed date' (A-3). Article 83 deals with the duration of the Houses of Parliament, amended to include the 'unexpired term' for the Lok Sabha (B-4). Article 172 mirrors this for State Legislatures (C-1). Article 327 is amended to give Parliament explicit power over the 'conduct of simultaneous elections' (D-2).

Question 5

Assertion (A): The passage of the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 requires ratification by the legislatures of not less than one-half of the States.
Reason (R): The Bill amends provisions relating to the duration of State Legislatures and Parliament's power over state elections, thereby altering the federal structure of the Constitution.

Accepted Answer

(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. — Under Article 368(2) of the Indian Constitution, any amendment that seeks to make a change to the federal character, including matters related to the representation of states in Parliament or the powers of state legislatures (such as amending Article 327), requires a special majority in Parliament followed by ratification by at least 50 percent of the state legislatures. Since synchronizing terms curtails state autonomy over assembly dissolutions, both A and R are true and R correctly explains A.

Introduction of One Nation One Election Bill

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