UPSC CSE Prelims
Question 55
Consider the following statements in respect of election to the President of India :
- The members nominated to either House of the Parliament or the Legislative Assemblies of States are also eligible to be included in the Electoral College.
- Higher the number of elective Assembly seats, higher is the value of vote of each MLA of that State.
- The value of vote of each MLA of Madhya Pradesh is greater than that of Kerala.
- The value of vote of each MLA of Puducherry is higher than that of Arunachal Pradesh because the ratio of total population to total number of elective seats in Puducherry is greater as compared to Arunachal Pradesh.
How many of the above statements are correct?
View correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Correct Option: A (Only one)
Explanation: Only the Puducherry–Arunachal comparison is correct; the vote value reflects 1971 population divided by elected Assembly seats, not the seat count alone.
Statement / Pair / Item-wise Analysis:
1. Incorrect/False - Nominated MPs and nominated State legislators cannot vote in the presidential electoral college.
2. Incorrect/False - More MLA seats do not automatically mean higher vote value per MLA: population per elected seat determines it.
3. Incorrect/False - An MLA vote in Kerala has higher value than in Madhya Pradesh (1971 population-seat formula).
4. Correct/True - Puducherry’s population per elected Assembly seat was higher than Arunachal Pradesh’s, yielding a higher MLA vote value.
Option-wise Analysis:
A. Correct-exactly 1 of the 4 listed items satisfy the condition.
B. Incorrect-it counts 2, but only 1 qualify; item(s) 1, 2, 3 do not.
C. Incorrect-it counts 3, but only 1 qualify; item(s) 1, 2, 3 do not.
D. Incorrect-it counts 4, but only 1 qualify; item(s) 1, 2, 3 do not.