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Q90 (IAS/2017) Polity & Governance › Constitutional & Statutory Bodies › Election Commission of India Official Key

Consider the following statements : 1. The Election Commission of India is a five-member body. 2. Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections. 3. Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognised political parties. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: D
Explanation

The correct answer is option D (Statement 3 only).

**Statement 1 is incorrect:** The Election Commission of India is a three-member body, with one Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.[1] The CEC and the two Election Commissioners have equal powers to take all decisions relating to elections as a collective body.[2]

**Statement 2 is incorrect:** Under Article 324 of the Constitution of India, the Election Commission of India is vested with the power of superintendence, direction and control of conducting the elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.[1] The Election Commission notifies the dates and schedules of elections and scrutinizes nomination papers.[3] The Union Ministry of Home Affairs does not decide the election schedule.

**Statement 3 is correct:** The Election Commission acts as a court for settling disputes related to granting of recognition to political parties and allotment of election symbols to them.[3] This includes resolving disputes relating to splits and mergers of recognised political parties.

Sources
  1. [1] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 80: Elections > ELECTION MACHINERy3, > p. 573
  2. [2] Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: ELECTION AND REPRESENTATION > Article 324: (1) > p. 69
  3. [3] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 43: Election Commission > POWERS AND FUNCTIONS > p. 421
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Consider the following statements : 1. The Election Commission of India is a five-member body. 2. Union Ministry of Home Affairs decide…
At a glance
Origin: From standard books Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 10/10 · 0/10
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This is a non-negotiable 'Sitter'. The question tests fundamental Polity facts found in the first few pages of the Election Commission chapter in Laxmikanth. Getting this wrong indicates a critical gap in core static syllabus preparation.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
How many members are there in the Election Commission of India?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 80: Elections > ELECTION MACHINERy3, > p. 573
Presence: 5/5
“~ELECTION MACHINERy3, Election Commission of India (ECI) Under Article 324 of the Constitution of India, the Election Commission of India is vested with the power of superintendence, direction and control of conducting the elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. The Election Commission of India is a three-member body, with one Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners. The President of India appoints the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commissioners. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) The Chief Electoral Officer of a State/Union Thrritory is authorised to supervise the election work in the State/Union Thrritory subject to the overall superintendence, direction and control of the Election Commission of India.”
Why this source?
  • Directly states the Election Commission of India is a 'three-member body'.
  • Specifies composition: one Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.
Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: ELECTION AND REPRESENTATION > Article 324: (1) > p. 69
Presence: 4/5
“Commissioner and the other Commissioners about who had how much power. The matter had to be settled by the Supreme Court. Now there is a general consensus that a multi-member Election Commission is more appropriate as power is shared and there is greater accountability. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) presides over the Election Commission, but does not have more powers than the other Election Commissioners. The CEC and the two Election Commissioners have equal powers to take all decisions relating to elections as a collective body. They are appointed by the President of India on the advice of the Council of Ministers.”
Why this source?
  • Refers to the Chief Election Commissioner and 'the two Election Commissioners', confirming three members.
  • States that the CEC and the two Election Commissioners act as a collective body with equal powers, implying a three-member composition.
Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: ELECTION AND REPRESENTATION > Article 324: (1) > p. 68
Presence: 3/5
“The Supreme Court has agreed with this interpretation of the Constitution. To assist the Election Commission of India there is a Chief Electoral Officer in every state. The Election Commission is not responsible for the conduct of local body elections. As we shall study in the chapter on Local Government, the State Election Commissioners work independently of the Election Commission of India and each has its own sphere of operation. The Election Commission of India can either be a single member or a multi-member body. Till 1989, the Election Commission was single member. Just before the 1989 general elections, two Election Commissioners were appointed, making the body multi-member.”
Why this source?
  • Explains the Commission can be single-member or multi-member and notes a change when two Election Commissioners were appointed (context for a multi-member body).
  • Provides historical context that supports understanding why the Commission may be a multi-member body (i.e., currently three).
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Statement analysis

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

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Consider the following statements: 1. Union Territories are not represented in the Rajya Sabha. 2. It is within the purview of the Chief Election Commissioner to adjudicate the election disputes. 3. According to the Constitution of India, the Parliament consists of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha only. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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Consider the following statements : 1. The Prime Minister of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the Planning Commission. 2. The Union Finance Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the Finance Commission. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

IAS · 2013 · Q93 Relevance score: 2.54

Consider the following statements: 1. The Council of Ministers in the Centre shall be collectively responsible to the Parliament. 2. The Union Ministers shall hold the office during the pleasure of the President of India. 3. The Prime Minister shall communicate to the President about the proposals for legislation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

IAS · 2001 · Q45 Relevance score: 2.03

Consider the following statements regarding the political parties in India: I. The Representation of the People Act, 1951 provides for the registration of political parties. II. Registration of political parties is carried out by the Election Commission. III. A national level political party is one which is recognised in four or more States. IV. During the 1999 general elections, there were six National and 48 State level parties recognised by the Election Commission. Which of these statements are correct ?

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Which of the following statements with regard to the conduct of elections in India is/are not correct? 1. The responsibility for the prepara¬tion of the electoral rolls is vested in the Election Commission of India. 2. The Model Code of Conduct comes into existence as soon as the date of the election is announced. 3. The laws relating to delimitation of constituencies are made by the Election Commission of India. 4. No election shall be called in question except by an election petition. Select the correct answer using the code given below.