UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Election-related seizures crossed ₹1,000 cr. in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, says poll body
Q1. Among the officials and teams onboarded nationally on the Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) for the 2024–2026 election cycle, which single category was onboarded in the largest number?
- A. State Nodal Officers
- B. District Nodal Officers
- C. Flying Squads and Static Surveillance Teams
- D. Chief Electoral Officers
Q2. The Election Seizure Management System (ESMS), the digital portal that consolidates real-time seizure data from multiple enforcement agencies, was developed in-house and is operationalised by which of the following bodies?
- A. The Election Commission of India
- B. The Ministry of Home Affairs
- C. The Central Board of Direct Taxes
- D. The Narcotics Control Bureau
Q3. For the April 2026 Assembly polls, how many Flying Squad Teams did the poll body report as deployed across Tamil Nadu and West Bengal combined for enforcing inducement-free elections?
- A. 2,283
- B. 2,728
- C. 5,011
- D. 59,000
Q4. With reference to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), consider the following statements:
1. It comes into force from the date of announcement of the election schedule by the Election Commission.
2. It is a statutory instrument enacted under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
3. It derives its authority from the Commission's constitutional powers under Article 324.
4. It ceases to operate on the date of poll, before counting of votes.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- It comes into force from the date of announcement of the election schedule by the Election Commission.
- It is a statutory instrument enacted under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
- It derives its authority from the Commission's constitutional powers under Article 324.
- It ceases to operate on the date of poll, before counting of votes.
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 4 only
- C. 1, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3 only
Q5. With reference to the 2026 election-seizure data reported for Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, consider the following statements:
1. Tamil Nadu recorded a higher total value of seizures than West Bengal.
2. West Bengal's total seizures exceeded those of Tamil Nadu in absolute value.
3. Tamil Nadu voted in a single phase whereas West Bengal voted in two phases.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Tamil Nadu recorded a higher total value of seizures than West Bengal.
- West Bengal's total seizures exceeded those of Tamil Nadu in absolute value.
- Tamil Nadu voted in a single phase whereas West Bengal voted in two phases.
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 2 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q6. In the ECI's ESMS seizure reporting for the 2026 polls, the category 'freebies' — which formed the single largest slab of the Tamil Nadu–West Bengal seizures — most precisely refers to which of the following?
- A. Goods and gifts distributed to voters with the intent of inducing them, seized during the election period
- B. Statutory welfare benefits delivered under government schemes during the poll period
- C. Campaign publicity material such as posters and banners exceeding permitted limits
- D. Unaccounted precious metals recovered from candidates' agents
Q7. The Election Commission of India's power of superintendence, direction and control of elections — the constitutional foundation on which its Model Code and expenditure-monitoring apparatus rest — is derived from which one of the following Articles of the Constitution?
- A. Article 324
- B. Article 326
- C. Article 329
- D. Article 243K
Q8. Consider the following pairings of a legal provision with the election-law function attributed to it:
1. Article 324 of the Constitution — superintendence, direction and control of elections by the ECI.
2. Rule 90 of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 — prescribing the maximum limit of a candidate's election expenses.
3. Section 123(6) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 — treating expenditure beyond the ceiling as a corrupt practice.
4. Article 356 of the Constitution — empowering the ECI to carry out election-time seizures of cash and inducements.
Which of the above is/are NOT correctly matched?
- Article 324 of the Constitution — superintendence, direction and control of elections by the ECI.
- Rule 90 of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 — prescribing the maximum limit of a candidate's election expenses.
- Section 123(6) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 — treating expenditure beyond the ceiling as a corrupt practice.
- Article 356 of the Constitution — empowering the ECI to carry out election-time seizures of cash and inducements.
- A. 4 only
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 3 only
- D. 2 and 3 only
Q9. With reference to the record election-related seizures during the 2024 Lok Sabha general election, consider the following statements:
1. Total seizures were about 290% higher than those during the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
2. Drugs and narcotics accounted for roughly 45% of the total seizures.
3. The total cash seized was of the order of Rs 1,066 crore.
4. The total value of freebies seized was of the order of Rs 226 crore.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Total seizures were about 290% higher than those during the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
- Drugs and narcotics accounted for roughly 45% of the total seizures.
- The total cash seized was of the order of Rs 1,066 crore.
- The total value of freebies seized was of the order of Rs 226 crore.
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 2, 3 and 4 only
- C. 1 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q10. During the 2024 Lok Sabha general election, described by the poll body as yielding the highest-ever seizures in 75 years of Lok Sabha polls, approximately how much (in value) had enforcement agencies seized even before the first phase of polling commenced?
- A. Over Rs 3,475 crore
- B. Over Rs 4,650 crore
- C. Over Rs 7,502 crore
- D. Over Rs 12,000 crore
Q11. Under Rule 90 of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, the ceiling on a candidate's election expenditure for a Parliamentary (Lok Sabha) constituency in the major States currently stands at which of the following amounts?
- A. Rs 40 lakh
- B. Rs 75 lakh
- C. Rs 95 lakh
- D. Rs 1 crore
Q12. In the ECI's election-enforcement architecture that feeds the ESMS, a 'Static Surveillance Team' (SST) is most precisely defined as a team that:
- A. Mans check-posts and nakas to intercept illegal movement of cash, liquor, drugs and other inducements
- B. Moves around a constituency to respond rapidly to Model Code of Conduct complaints
- C. Scrutinises and audits the day-to-day expenditure registers maintained by candidates
- D. Coordinates the deployment of central armed police forces on poll day