Elections — Should parliamentary polls be held every 3 years instead of every 5 years? Statement: Should the parliamentary elections in India be held every three years (instead of five years)? Arguments: I. No. This will enhance wastage of money and resources. II. Yes. Voters can change non-performing representatives sooner. III. No. Representatives will not have enough time to settle and focus on development.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Only I and III are strong

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
The proposal shortens India’s parliamentary term from five to three years. We must judge which arguments are strong based on institutional stability, cost, and governance outcomes.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Elections in a large democracy are expensive (money, manpower, security).
  • Continuity enables policy planning, execution, and evaluation.
  • Accountability exists through other democratic mechanisms (debates, media, mid-term by-elections) even within a five-year term.


Concept / Approach:
We weigh systemic costs and governance time horizons against the desire for more frequent electoral accountability.



Step-by-Step Solution:

Argument I: Strong. More frequent national elections significantly raise fiscal and administrative burdens and divert governments toward perpetual campaigning.Argument II: Weaker. While earlier replacement is attractive, it ignores the costs and instability created; accountability can be pursued via intra-term mechanisms.Argument III: Strong. Development policy often requires multi-year gestation; shorter terms encourage short-termism and reduce execution time.


Verification / Alternative check:
Comparative experience suggests that overly frequent national polls increase volatility and policy discontinuity without commensurate gains in performance.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • Only I and II / Only II and III / All strong: they elevate II unduly.
  • None strong: contradicts the substantial weight of I and III.


Common Pitfalls:
Believing more frequent elections automatically improve governance; in practice, they can crowd out long-term policy.



Final Answer:
Only I and III are strong

More Questions from Statement and Argument

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