PRS · Election Commission of India ·

How India will elect its next President

Distilled Policy Brief

  • The President is elected by an electoral college of elected MPs and MLAs of the states and the Union Territories of Delhi and Puducherry, as prescribed in Article 55 of the Constitution.
  • Each MLA’s vote value is based on the state’s 1971 population and the number of MLAs (e.g., UP MLA = 208, Sikkim MLA = 7); an MP’s vote value equals the total MLA vote value divided by the number of elected MPs, resulting in a value of 700 in 2022.
  • A candidate must be proposed and seconded by at least 50 elected representatives and must deposit Rs 15,000 as security, a requirement introduced by the 1997 amendment.

🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points

President is elected by an electoral college of MPs and MLAs of states and the UTs of Delhi and Puducherry (Article 55).

⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages

Discuss the significance of the weighted voting system in Presidential elections and its impact on the federal balance between states and the Union.

🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill

Polity & Governance

In the election of the President of India, which category of representatives is NOT a part of the electoral college as per Article 55?

  • [A] Elected members of the Lok Sabha
  • [B] Elected members of State Legislative Assemblies
  • [C] Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha
  • [D] Elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of Delhi and Puducherry
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
✓ Correct Option: [C] Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha

The electoral college consists of elected MPs and elected MLAs of states and the UTs of Delhi and Puducherry. The text explicitly states that the 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha do not participate in the voting process, making option C correct. The other categories listed are all part of the electoral college.

Tark High-Yield Question Bank ⚡ Practice Full Test in Testing Arena ↗

🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)

UPSC Prelims 2021

Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.

Forensic Anchor: Cabinet Allocation of Business Rules & NCAP Framework
Examiner Trap Takeaway: UPSC swapped Central Pollution Control Board role with State Pollution Control Boards for state-level monitoring.