Under the Constitution of India, the President of India is elected by which of the following electoral bodies?

Introduction / Context:
The President of India is the head of state and is elected indirectly rather than by direct popular vote. The Constitution sets out a special electoral college that reflects the federal nature of the country by including both Union and state representatives. Understanding the composition of this electoral college is an important part of Indian polity. This question asks you to identify the correct description of the body that elects the President of India.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on the election process of the President of India.
• The options describe different combinations of members of Parliament and state legislatures.
• We assume familiarity with the concept of an electoral college in this context.
• We must distinguish between elected and nominated members and between Houses of Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies.

Concept / Approach:
Article 54 of the Constitution of India states that the President shall be elected by an electoral college consisting of the elected members of both Houses of Parliament and the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of the States. Nominated members of Parliament are not part of this electoral college, and members of State Legislative Councils are also excluded. The idea is to give both the Union and the states a role in choosing the head of state. Therefore, the correct answer is the option that mentions this specific electoral college composition, including only elected members of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the wording of Article 54, which defines the electoral college for the President of India. Step 2: Note that it includes elected members of both Houses of Parliament and elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of the States. Step 3: Nominated members of Parliament, although they participate in other functions, are not part of this electoral college. Step 4: Members of State Legislative Councils, where they exist, are also not included in the electoral college for the President. Step 5: Option D correctly states that the electoral college consists of elected members of both Houses of Parliament and of the State Legislative Assemblies. Step 6: The other options incorrectly limit the electorate to only one House or include nominated members, which is not allowed by the Constitution.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by consulting any standard polity text that describes the election of the President. They all reproduce the constitutional formula and often add that the votes are weighted according to a prescribed formula to balance representation of states and the Union. These texts explicitly state that nominated members of Parliament and members of State Legislative Councils do not vote in the presidential election. Commentaries on presidential elections, including news reports during election years, also emphasise that only elected members of both Houses of Parliament and State Assemblies form the electoral college. This confirms that option D is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A is wrong because it restricts the electorate to only the Lok Sabha and ignores the Rajya Sabha and State Assemblies, which must be included.

Option B is wrong because it includes nominated members of both Houses of Parliament, who are not part of the electoral college for the President.

Option C is wrong because it limits the electorate to only State Legislative Assemblies and does not include the elected members of Parliament.

Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to forget the role of the Rajya Sabha, assuming that only Lok Sabha members and State Assemblies matter. Another mistake is to think that nominated members of Parliament automatically join every important vote, including the presidential election. To avoid such errors, clearly memorise the exact phrase used in Article 54 and remember that only elected members of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies form the electoral college. This precise understanding will help you answer questions on the presidential election process correctly in competitive exams.

Final Answer:
An electoral college consisting of the elected members of both Houses of Parliament and of the Legislative Assemblies of the States