With reference to the election of the President of India, consider the following statements: [2018]

With reference to the election of the President of India, consider the following statements:

The value of the vote of each MLA varies from state to state.
The value of the vote of MPs of the Lok Sabha is more than the value of the vote of MPs of the Rajya Sabha.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

The Presidential election in India follows a special system of voting in which different vote values are assigned to Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs). The value of each MLA’s vote is determined based on the population of the respective state and the number of MLAs in that state. For example, the value of a vote of an MLA from Uttar Pradesh is 208, whereas that of an MLA from Sikkim is 7. Further, as per a Constitutional Amendment enacted in 2002, the population figures of the 1971 Census are used for calculating the value of votes.

Statement 2 is incorrect

The value of an MP’s vote is the sum of all votes of MLAs across the country divided by the number of elected MPs. Each MP’s vote carries a fixed vote value of 700 (as per 2022 ECI data).

Infographic explaining the President of India, detailing qualifications, election process, oath, term, privileges, and impeachment procedures. Key elements include eligibility criteria, electoral college composition, five-year term, no legal liability for official acts, and impeachment requiring a two-thirds majority in Parliament.