QUESTION 3
GS2
10 marks
“Simultaneous election to the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies will limit the amount of time and money spent in electioneering but it will reduce the government’s accountability to the people.” Discuss.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Discuss the savings from simultaneous elections against the risk of reduced accountability.
DiscussExplain the different sides of the issue, use evidence, and finish with a balanced view.
Demand-wise check
- 1Benefits: lower cost, less policy paralysis from Model Code of Conduct, saved security forces and administration time, higher turnout≈30 words
- 2Accountability concern: frequent elections keep governments responsive; mid-term feedback lost; national issues may drown local ones; fixed tenure vs no-confidence motion≈30 words
- 3Practical issues: constitutional amendments (Articles 83, 85, 172, 174, 356), premature dissolutions, federalism≈30 words
- 4Middle path: two-phase cycle, constructive no-confidence≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
History (1951–67)BenefitsAccountability issueImplementation challengesRecent stepsConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Only cost arguments, missing the accountability part of the statement
- Ignoring federalism concerns
Draw this
- Table: benefit vs concern
Value addition
- ReportLaw Commission 170th Report (1999) recommended simultaneous elections.Law Commission, 1999
- CommitteeRam Nath Kovind High-Level Committee (2024) proposed Lok Sabha and assembly polls together, then local bodies within 100 days.HLC Report, March 2024
- BillConstitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 introduced and referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.Lok Sabha, December 2024
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Akash Kumar · AIR 101 · Page 17 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.