Representation of Peoples Act,1951, Features and Important Aspects

Representation of Peoples Act, 1951

Legislators authorized the Representation of the People Act, 1951, to achieve the requirements outlined in Article 327 of the Indian Constitution. Given that it affects how elections are to be held across the country, this law is extremely important. The basis for those rules and the specifics of how elections are handled in this country are set down in Articles 324 through 329 of Part XV of the Constitution. According to the Constitution, Parliament has the authority to determine election procedures for the national government and state legislatures.

The Representation of the Peoples Act 1951 is an important part of Indian Polity which is an important subject in UPSC Syllabus. Students can also go for UPSC Mock Test to get more accuracy in their preparations.

Representation of Peoples Act, 1951 History

Only the distribution of seats within and the definition of constituencies for elections to the House of People and State legislatures, the requirements for voters in such elections, and the construction of electoral rolls were covered by the Representation of the People Act of 1950. Not all election-related provisions were included.

The specifics of the actual selection process for the Houses of Parliament and the House or Houses of the Legislature of each State, the qualifications and exclusions for membership in these Houses, corrupt practices and other election offences, and the handling of election-related disputes were not covered. To include these requirements, the Representation of the People Act of 1951 was passed.

Representation of Peoples Act, 1951 Feature

A person who has been found guilty of a crime and received a jail term of at least two years is ineligible starting on the day of their conviction and for a further six years after they are released. There is a clause that allows for the appointment of a district election officer to preside over polling places. if the election commission is satisfied, disqualification for corrupt behavior, dismissal for corruption or disloyalty, or failure to submit an election expenditure account.

Every political party may take whatever amount of contributions offered to it by any individual or company other than a government company, which is another significant aspect of the Representation of Peoples Act. Additionally, no political party shall be allowed to take any donations from abroad.

In addition to winning four Lok Sabha seats from any state or all of the states, a party is recognized as a national party if it receives 6% of the legitimate votes in four or more states during a general election or election to a state legislative assembly. If a party obtains two seats in the Legislative Assembly and receives 6% of the valid votes cast in the general election for the state legislative assembly, it is recognized as a state party. According to RPA 1951, the High Court has the authority to hear an election petition.

Also Read: Representation of People Act, 1950

 Representation of Peoples Act of 1951 Important Aspects

• Elections to either or both Houses of the Legislative Assembly in each state, as well as elections to both Houses of Parliament.
• Specifics of the administrative system that was employed to carry out the elections
• The inclusion criteria for each residence and options for people who don’t fit the criteria.
• Corruption-related crimes and other offences committed during or in connection with such elections or actions taken in relation to them.
• There is some connection between them and the resolution of issues and disputes that have arisen as a direct result of such elections.
• Elections are held for posts where a seat is currently vacant.

Representation of Peoples Act 1951 Offences

The following are the violations of the Representation of Peoples Act: promoting class division in relation to elections based on language, caste, community, race, or religion, Public gatherings during the 48 hours following the scheduled end of the voting in any election, and the sale, gift, or distribution of alcoholic beverages on Election Day.

The crime resembles booth capturing. Removing the ballots from the voting booths is another violation stated in the Representation of Peoples Act. A government employee works as a polling or election agent for a candidate during an election. Infractions include failure to perform official duties in relation to the election. Committing an offence at the polls or disobeying a valid order from the presiding authority.

Representation of Peoples Act 1951 UPSC

In regards to any matters relating to elections, the Election Commission of India has substantially more authority than the government does when elections are taking place. The Representation of the People Act of 1951 complies with the requirements or regulations set forth in Article 327. The only requirement is that the relevant authorities possess the appropriate degree of resolve and honesty, at which point they will be provided with the tools necessary to conduct free and fair elections. Both the UPSC Prelims and the Mains exams of General Studies Paper 2 of Indian Polity need knowledge of the Representation of Peoples Act, or RPA 1951 UPSC topic, and its Amendments, such as RPA 1966, 2002, 2010, etc. Students can read all the details related to UPSC by visiting the official website of StudyIQ UPSC Online Coaching.

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