India’s general election of 1952 became a landmark in the history of democracy because it proved-
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Democratic elections could be held in conditions of poverty or lack of education
Option (1) Democracy is the only way to bring about economic development in the country — Incorrect. The 1952 election was a test of whether democracy could work in a poor and illiterate country; it had nothing to do with how the economy should develop.
Option (2) The high level of political participation is directly related to high literacy rate — Incorrect. The election showed the reverse: only 15 per cent of the eligible voters were literate, yet the election was held successfully.
Option (3) Caste politics is not as important as class politics — Incorrect. What the election showed was that ordinary voters, most of them poor and unable to read, could choose their government; it did not weigh caste against class.
Option (4) Democratic elections could be held in conditions of poverty or lack of education — Correct. Till then democracy had existed only in prosperous countries where nearly everyone was literate. After 1952 it was no longer possible to argue that democratic elections could not be held in conditions of poverty or lack of education; it proved that democracy could be practised anywhere in the world.
NCERT (2025-26): “Challenge of building democracy … Observers outside India were equally impressed. India’s general election of 1952 became a landmark in the history of democracy all over the world. It was no longer possible to argue that democratic elections could not be held in conditions of poverty or lack of education. It proved that democracy could be practiced anywhere in the world.” |