Universal adult franchise (also known as universal suffrage, common suffrage, and general suffrage of the common man) grants the right to vote to all adult citizens, irrespective of their gender, race, social status, wealth, political stance, or any such criteria, with a few exceptions. 

Now, coming to the definition part, franchise means the right of people to choose their representative by vote. The term “franchise” derives from the french word “franc”, meaning free. Adult franchise refers to the right to vote, which should be granted to all adult citizens regardless of gender, caste, religion and colour. 

History and Background 

• Barely 13% of Indian citizens were granted the right to vote during the pre-independence period
• The demand for universal adult franchise started gaining importance only a few decades before independence
• Motilal Nehru’s report became the pioneer to support the limitless adult franchise and equal rights for women
•  To incorporate universal adult suffrage in the Indian constitution, Dr BR Ambedkar appeared before the Simon commission in 1928 and pressured them to grant suffrage
• At the Karachi session, The Indian National Congress called for political equality in the year 1931
• The INC was of the view that it was a crucial step to make the electoral process more inclusive and collaborative 
• In November 1947, India commenced the composition of the very first draft for the electoral roll on universal adult suffrage
• The universal adult franchise was finally adopted when the present day constitution was passed in 1949 and successfully implemented on January 26, 1950

Constitutional Provisions 

The minimum age to vote differs country-wise. In our country, it is 18 years now. The 61st amendment act of 1989 reduced the minimum age to exercise voting from 21 to 18. 

To become a voter, certain requirements have to be fulfilled which are mentioned below. 

A registered voter be: 

• A citizen of India
• Of sound mind
• Of 18 years or above
• Not be declared insolvent by a competent court

Importance of Universal Adult Franchise in Democracy 

Let us now know the relevance of the universal adult franchise in democracy. 

• The very foundation of the universal adult franchise is equality, which is the core of democracy
• Refusing the right to vote to any category of people is in violation of their right
• The heart of democracy can be taken care of only if everyone is ensured the right to vote without any restrictions
• Democracy is the system where the government of the country is elected by the people through vote
• People are termed as political sovereigns as they only have the power to vote a government in or out of power

Evolution in India 

The principle of universal adult suffrage was denied to Indian citizens during the rule of the British. Under the government of India acts 1919 and 1935, only those people could vote who satisfied certain criteria, like income, education, and property. For decades, most citizens had no right to exercise the universal adult franchise. 

The Indian freedom movement was a crucial phase that created a demand for universal suffrage. The earliest of the constitution which finds mention about it was the constitution of India bill 1895 which provided the right to every citizen to give one vote for electing a member to the local legislative council and the parliament. 

The 1895 bill was not considered by the two historical constitutions in the early 20th century. First was the Lucknow Pact, 1916 which was reached between the Indian national congress and the Muslim league. They called for a franchise as broad as possible. The second was the commonwealth of India bill 1925 which was framed by a consortium of political groups. They proposed voting rights to only those who satisfied three criteria which resembled British legalisation i.e. education, income and land. 

Things began to change during the end of the 1920s. Indian leaders demanded the Indian constitution be written by them and provide a universal adult franchise.  

Significance In India’s Context 

• It was only through the implementation of universal suffrage that democracy came into India
• The constitutional debates during April 1947 for the adoption of a universal adult franchise departed from colonial practices
• It helps achieve gender equality
• The concept of free and fair voting was regarded as the “guarantor of minority rights”
• It helped the poor gain the ability to freely choose their political administrators
• It helped enhance prosperity at the base level and increased infrastructure development

Conclusion 

Universal adult suffrage is considered one of the most critical decisions which helped shape India better. It was a major accomplishment for the founding fathers of the Indian constitution to give everyone the equal right to vote, without any restrictions. 

The universal adult franchise gave birth to democratisation and free and fair elections played a significant role in restoring an order dominated by the upper castes. It not only changed the face of our government and parliamentary system but also gave the backward people a chance to represent themselves in the parliament. 

It is founded on the principle of the right to equality, which is the very foundation of democracy. Exercising the right to vote helped improve self-esteem, dignity and a sense of responsibility among people.