This passage relates to
- (a) duty to vote ✓ UPSC's answer
- (b) right to vote
- (c) freedom to vote
- (d) right to participate in politics
Why the answer is (a)
• The passage explicitly states that a successful democracy depends on widespread interest and participation, with voting as an essential part.
• It characterizes the deliberate refraining from voting as a 'kind of implied anarchy.'
• The text defines this act of not voting as 'refusing one's political responsibility.'
• By framing the act of voting as a responsibility that must be fulfilled to avoid anarchy, the passage emphasizes the obligation or duty to vote.
• Therefore, the central theme is the moral and political duty of citizens to participate in the electoral process.
Why the other options are wrong
- (b) right to vote
- The passage focuses on the responsibility and consequence of not voting (implied anarchy) rather than the legal entitlement or right to cast a ballot.
- (c) freedom to vote
- The text argues against the choice to abstain, framing voting as a necessary responsibility rather than a freedom that can be exercised or withheld at will.
- (d) right to participate in politics
- While participation is mentioned, the specific focus on voting as an essential part and the condemnation of refraining from it points specifically to the duty to vote, not the broader right to participate in politics.
Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2017, held on 18 June 2017. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.