UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 2 : Questions on South China Sea and Election Commission (Week 49)

QUESTION 2

Elections were also adjourned in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul Lok Sabha constituency due to the death of a candidate.

Regarding the above statement, what can the election commission do if normal polling process is disrupted?

General points on the structure of the answers

Introduction

QUESTION 1: How the South China Sea situation unfolds will be critical to India’s security. Discuss.

Introduction:

— The South China Sea is situated just south of the Chinese mainland and is bordered by the countries of Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

— For decades, the countries have fought over territorial control of the sea, but tensions have recently risen to unprecedented levels.

— The South China Sea is one of the most strategically important maritime areas, and China seeks control of it in order to exert greater regional authority.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

How the South China Sea situation plays out will be critical for India’s security.

— The South China Sea is not China’s sea, but rather a worldwide common, and it has served as an essential sea-lane of communication since its inception, with uninterrupted passage across millennia.

— Indians have sailed these waterways for more than 1,500 years, and there is significant historical and archaeological evidence of an ongoing Indian trading presence from Kedah in Malaysia to Quanzhou in China.

— Nearly $200 billion in trade flows through the South China Sea, and thousands of our citizens study, work, and invest in ASEAN, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.

— India, like others who live in the region, has an interest in the region’s peace and stability, and freedom of passage, as well as other routine activities with friendly countries, is critical to our economic prosperity.

Map of the South China Sea, with “nine-dash line” highlighted in green. (Source: Wikimedia Commons/US Central Intelligence Agency)

Conclusion:

— According to the estimates of the United States Energy Information Agency, there are 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in deposits under the South China Sea.

— The sea is home to rich fishing grounds — a major source of income for millions of people across the region.

(Source: How the South China Sea situation plays out will be critical for India’s security by Vijay Gokhale, China-Philippines tussle: Everything you need to know about the South China Sea dispute by Alind Chauhan)

Points to Ponder

Islands of South China Sea

What is nine dash line?

Importance of the South China Sea

Related Previous Year Questions

With respect to the South China sea, maritime territorial disputes and rising tension affirm the need for safeguarding maritime security to ensure freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region. In this context, discuss the bilateral issues between India and China. (2014)

“The USA is facing an existential threat in the form of China, that is much more challenging than the erstwhile Soviet Union.” Explain. (2021)

QUESTION 2: Elections were adjourned in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul Lok Sabha constituency due to the death of a candidate.

Regarding the above statement, what can the election commission do if normal polling process is disrupted?

Introduction:

— India’s election laws provide a framework for handling situations where the normal polling process is disrupted for any reason, including damage to EVMs, booth-capturing, natural disasters, or a candidate’s death.

— The provisions for repolls, adjournments, and the voiding of polls ensure that the democratic process remains fair, transparent, and uninterrupted.

— Recently, elections were also adjourned in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul Lok Sabha constituency due to the death of a candidate on April 9.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

— Under Section 58 of the RPA (‘Fresh poll in the case of destruction, etc., of ballot boxes’), the EC can declare the poll at a polling station to be void if:

(a) an unauthorised person has unlawfully taken away any EVM;

(b) any EVM has been accidentally or intentionally destroyed, or lost, or damaged, or tampered with; or

(c) a mechanical failure develops in any EVM during the recording of votes.

— In such scenarios, the Returning Officer (RO) immediately informs the EC and the state’s Chief Electoral Officer of the relevant facts and material circumstances, after which the EC may declare the poll void and formally set a new poll date and time.

— The contesting candidates or their election agents are then notified in writing. To alert voters, a notice is displayed in public areas, as well as an announcement made by beating a drum in the polling area. All electors will be able to vote in the new election. During the repoll, voters’ left middle fingers are inked to differentiate from the mark made during the first poll (on their left forefinger).

(Source: Expert Explains: What Election Commission can do if normal polling process is disrupted by Ravi Mittal)

Points to Ponder

Booth capturing and natural disaster, other disruptions to polling are defined in which section of RPA?

Election Commission of India

Representation of People Act, 1951

Related Previous Year Questions

Discuss the role of the Election Commission of India in the light of the evolution of the Model Code of Conduct. (2022)

In the light of recent controversy regarding the use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), what are the challenges before the Election Commission of India to ensure the trustworthiness of elections in India? (2018)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 47)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 48)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 48)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 47)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 49)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 48)

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