Question

The voting age in India is reduced to 18 years through this Constitutional Amendment Act
1. 93rd
2. 89th
3. 86th
4. 61st

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 4 : 61st

The correct answer is 61st.

• The 61st Amendment of the Constitution of India is officially known as The Constitution (Sixty-first Amendment) Act, 1988. The voting age in India is reduced to 18 years through this Constitutional Amendment Act. 
• This was done by amending Article 326 of the Constitution, which concerns elections to the Lok Sabha and the Assemblies.
  • The article before being amended by the 61st Amendment stated that any citizen of India who is 21 years or above, and who is not disqualified on any other grounds such as non-residence, crime, corrupt or illegal practices, or unsoundness of mind, is eligible to vote at an election.

• The Constitutional 93rd amendment, 2006 added clause (5) in Article 15 which stated nothing shall prevent the State from making any special provision, by law, for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes. 
• The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) was established by amending Article 338 and inserting a new Article 338A in the Constitution through the Constitution 89th Amendment Act, 2003. By this amendment, the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was replaced by two separate Commissions:
  • The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).
  • The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).
• The 86th Constitutional Amendment Act provided the Right to Education as a fundamental right in part-III of the Constitution. The 86th Constitutional Amendment (2002) inserted Article 21A in the Indian Constitution. A new article 21A was inserted which made the right to education a fundamental right for children between 6-14 years.