Proportional Representation

noun (uncountable)

/prəˌpɔːʃənəl ˌrɛprɪzɛnˈteɪʃən/

An electoral system designed to allocate legislative seats in proportion to each party's share of the total votes cast, so that the composition of the legislature reflects the electorate's preferences accurately. India uses proportional representation with single transferable vote (PR-STV) for elections to the Rajya Sabha (Article 80(4)) and for Presidential elections (Article 55); the Lok Sabha and state Vidhan Sabhas use FPTP, not PR.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

While the Lok Sabha is elected by the first-past-the-post system, the Rajya Sabha employs proportional representation with single transferable vote, ensuring that parties' strengths in state assemblies are proportionately mirrored in the upper house.

Synonyms

PR systemSTVlist systemproportional votingfair representation

Antonyms

first-past-the-postplurality votingwinner-take-allFPTP

🌱 Word Family

proportion (noun), proportionate (adjective), proportionally (adverb), represent (verb), representative (noun/adjective), representation (noun)

🔡 Root

Latin proportio (symmetrical relationship) ← pro- (before, in relation to) + portio (share, portion) + repraesentationem ← re- + praesentare (to present)

📜 Etymology

Proportional from Latin proportionalis, from proportio (a relation of parts). Representation from Medieval Latin repraesentatio (a showing). The political concept was systematised by Thomas Hare (STV, 1857) and Victor d'Hondt (list-PR, 1878), and entered constitutional law through 19th–20th-century electoral reform movements.

🧠 Memory Hook

PROPORTIONAL = in PROPORTION (what you put in, you get out). PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION: if you get 30% of votes, you get 30% of seats. Fair shares — like cutting a cake in proportion to how hungry each person is.

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

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