Disqualification

noun (countable and uncountable)

/dɪsˌkwɒlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

The legal incapacity imposed on a person preventing him or her from holding legislative office or contesting elections, either at the point of candidature or after election. In India, grounds for disqualification of MPs and MLAs include holding an office of profit (Article 102/191), unsoundness of mind, insolvency, non-citizenship, conviction and imprisonment for two or more years (Representation of the People Act, 1951 s.8), and defection under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law, inserted by the 52nd Amendment, 1985).

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

The Speaker's decision on the disqualification of rebel MLAs under the Tenth Schedule in Keisham Meghachandra Singh v. Hon'ble Speaker (2020) was subject to judicial review, the Supreme Court reiterating that such decisions are not immune from constitutional scrutiny.

Synonyms

incapacitationineligibilitydebarmentinvalidityremoval

Antonyms

qualificationeligibilityenfranchisemententitlement

🌱 Word Family

disqualify (verb), disqualified (adjective), qualification (noun), qualify (verb), qualified (adjective)

🔡 Root

Latin dis- (negation) + qualificare (to make suitable) ← qualis (of what kind) + facere (to make)

📜 Etymology

Formed from the privative prefix dis- and qualification (from Medieval Latin qualificatio). The word entered English legal usage in the 17th century to describe the removal of a legal capacity previously enjoyed.

🧠 Memory Hook

DIS-QUALIFICATION: the 'DIS' negates your qualification — it un-qualifies you from the race. Like being disqualified from an athletic event — the referee removes you from the running.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2025 — Parliament
Prelims 2025 — Parliament
Prelims 2019 — Parliament
Prelims 2014 — Amendment Procedure
Prelims 1997 — Local Government
Mains 2020 · GS2 · 10 marks — Indian Polity
Mains 2019 · GS2 · 15 marks — Polity

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Disqualification” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

⚖️ Polity & Constitution 📖 Seen in: Preamble of the Indian Constitution

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