UPSC Prelims 2017 GS Paper I · Q57 of 100 Polity & Governance medium

For election to the Lok Sabha, a nomination paper can be filed by

  1. (a) anyone residing in India.
  2. (b) a resident of the constituency from which the election is to be contested.
  3. (c) any citizen of India whose name appears in the electoral roll of a constituency. ✓ UPSC's answer
  4. (d) any citizen of India.

Why the answer is (c)

• Under Section 4(d) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, a person can contest a Lok Sabha seat from any constituency in India provided he or she is an elector — registered on the electoral roll — of any parliamentary constituency in the country (not necessarily the one contested), and is a citizen aged 25 or more — option (c).

• Mere residence (a, b) is not enough, and citizenship alone (d) is insufficient without enrolment as a voter.

• Hence option (c).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) anyone residing in India.
Residence alone does not qualify; non-citizens cannot contest.
(b) a resident of the constituency from which the election is to be contested.
One need not be a resident of the constituency contested.
(d) any citizen of India.
Citizenship alone is insufficient without being an elector.

Asked in the GS Paper I 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.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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