Previous Year Question Patterns

PYQ Analysis — Topic 100

Year	Marks	Question Summary	Sub-domain
2013	5	Electoral reforms	Electoral reforms
2016	10	Law Commission recommendations on electoral reforms	Electoral reforms
2021	2	NOTA (what is it, purpose)	NOTA

Pattern Observations:

1. Electoral reforms (not voting behavior) has been the predominant PYQ angle — 2013 (5m), 2016 (10m). Expect a 5-mark or 10-mark on electoral reforms for 2026.
2. Electoral Bonds judgment (2024) is the most significant recent electoral development — mandatory inclusion in any electoral reforms answer.
3. NOTA (asked as 2-mark in 2021) is now obsolete format (no 2-mark questions in 2026) — could become a 5-mark question with more detailed treatment.
4. EVM/VVPAT — recurring controversy in 2024 elections — high probability for 5-mark question.
5. One Nation One Election (Kovind Committee 2024) is fresh material likely to yield a 5 or 10-mark question.
6. CEC appointment law (2023) is directly examinable as a 5-mark question on ECI independence.
7. Voting behavior (anti-incumbency, caste voting, women's turnout) appears to have been under-tested — could feature as a 10-mark analytical question in 2026.

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