⚖️ Polity & GovernanceUPSC 1997Salient Features of RPA

In the Presidential election in India, every elected member of the Legislative Assembly of a State shall have as many votes as there are multiples of one thousand in the quotient obtained by dividing the population of the State by the total number of the elected members of the Assembly. As at present the expression “population” here means the population as ascertained by the:

a1991 Census
b1981 Census
c1971 Census
d1961 Census
✓ Correct answer: c) 1971 Census
ExplanationThe formula for electing the President of India considers each state’s population and the number of elected members in the state’s Legislative Assembly.In 1997 R K Narayanan with nearly 95% defeated T N Seshan who got nearly 5% vote.The census used in the election was 1971 due to complex interplay of politics and constitutional provisions.Even the Presidential election 2022 used the 1971 census.The 84th Constitutional Amendment act 2001 froze the use of census data from 1971 till 2026. 134

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