Which of the following Constitutional Amendments of India lowered the voting age from 21 years to 18 years for the Lok Sabha and Assembly Elections of India?
- AOption (a)
42nd
- BOption (b)
34th
- COption (c)
61st
- DOption (d)
24th
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Correct answer
61st
Why this answer is correct
The correct answer is 61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988.
Key Points
- The 61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988, reduced the voting age for elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies in India from 21 years to 18 years.
- This amendment was introduced to provide greater representation to the youth in the democratic process and to encourage their participation in electoral politics.
- The primary objective of this amendment was to align with the principle of universal adult suffrage by lowering the minimum age for voting.
- The amendment modified Article 326 of the Indian Constitution, which deals with elections to the House of the People and State Legislative Assemblies on the basis of adult suffrage.
- It was passed by the Rajiv Gandhi-led government and symbolized a significant step toward inclusivity in Indian democracy.
Additional Information
- 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976
- Known as the "Mini Constitution," it brought significant changes to the Indian Constitution during the Emergency period (1975-77).
- It gave primacy to the Directive Principles of State Policy over Fundamental Rights and introduced fundamental duties under Part IVA (Article 51A).
- It also extended the tenure of the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies from 5 years to 6 years, though this was later reversed by the 44th Amendment Act.
- 34th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1974
- This amendment added 20 land reform laws of various states to the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
- The Ninth Schedule protects legislation from being challenged in courts on the grounds of violation of Fundamental Rights.
- 24th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1971
- This amendment affirmed the Parliament's power to amend any part of the Constitution, including Fundamental Rights.
- It was passed to counter the Supreme Court's judgment in the Golaknath case (1967), which limited Parliament's amending power.
