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Glossary Terms
| Term (EN) | Definition | Exam Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-incumbency | Tendency of voters to vote against the current ruling party | Rajasthan's unique pattern since 1993 |
| Electoral behavior | Patterns in how voters make choices at the ballot | Core T102 concept |
| NOTA | None of the Above — voter option to reject all candidates | SC judgment 2013; used in Raj 2023 |
| Voter turnout | Percentage of eligible voters who actually vote | 74.13% in Rajasthan 2023 |
| SVEEP | Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (ECI programme) | Jan Aadhaar-linked voter education |
| Delimitation | Redrawing of constituency boundaries | Last done in 2008; due post-2026 census |
| Model Code of Conduct | ECI guidelines for parties/candidates during election | Enforced via cVIGIL app |
| EVM | Electronic Voting Machine; used in Raj since 2003 | Replaced ballot paper |
| VVPAT | Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail; paper receipt of vote cast | Introduced in Rajasthan 2018 |
| Caste arithmetic | Calculating votes by caste/community composition of a constituency | Candidate selection strategy |
| Praja Mandal | People's assemblies in princely states that fought for responsible government pre-1947 | Historical context |
| Patron-client network | Relationship where politicians provide benefits in exchange for electoral support | Explains anti-incumbency |
| MKSS | Workers' and Farmers' Power Organisation — civil society body pioneering RTI | Rajasthan civil society |
| Floor crossing | Legislators switching parties; governed by Anti-Defection Law (10th Schedule) | Gehlot-Pilot 2020 context |
| Booth Management | Party strategy to manage individual polling booths for voter mobilization | BJP's IT-cell innovation |
| Swing voter | Voters not firmly committed to any party | Jat, OBC communities in Rajasthan |
| Criminalization of politics | Entry of candidates with criminal records into elections | ADR data: Rajasthan candidates with cases |
| Minority vote | Votes of religious/linguistic minorities | ~9% Muslim population in Rajasthan |
| Tribal belt | South Rajasthan (Udaipur, Banswara, Dungarpur, Sirohi, Rajsamand) with high ST population | ST political participation |
| First-past-the-post | Electoral system where candidate with most votes wins, regardless of majority | India's parliamentary system |
| Issue-based voting | Voting based on policy issues rather than caste/identity | Growing trend among youth |
| Political socialization | Process by which individuals learn political values and behaviors | Family, school, SHG as agents |
Sources: Election Commission of India (ECI) Statistical Reports 2023; Rajasthan Chief Electoral Officer data; Lokniti-CSDS Post-Poll Surveys 2023; Census 2011 caste data; RPSC Mains PYQ 2013–2023; RPSC 2026 Official Syllabus.