Simone Lawson
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutionally mandated autonomous body established on 25 January 1950 to foster the democratic process in India by administering federal and state election processes. It is headquartered in New Delhi and operates under the powers granted by Article 324 of the Constitution and the subsequently enacted Representation of the People Act. The ECI is responsible for administering elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the offices of the President and Vice President. It is headed by a Chief Election Commissioner and consists of two other Election Commissioners as constituent members.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of formal constitution | 25 January 1950 |
| Type of body | Permanent and autonomous constitutional body |
| Purpose | To ensure free and fair elections |
| Powers | Direction, superintendence, and control of the entire election process |
| Election Commissioner appointment | By the President of India |
| Election Commissioner term | Six years or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier |
| Election Commissioner removal | By the President, on the basis of a resolution passed by both Houses of Parliament with a special majority, on grounds of misbehaviour or incapacity |
| Number of commissioners | Three (one Chief Election Commissioner and two other commissioners) |
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What You'll Learn
- The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a permanent and autonomous body
- The ECI was established in 1950 to foster the democratic process in India
- The ECI is responsible for scrutinising and accepting applications of election candidates
- The ECI operates various electronic media to enable functions like checking electoral rolls
- The ECI is headquartered in New Delhi and consists of three commissioners
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a permanent and autonomous body
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a permanent and autonomous constitutional body established by the Constitution of the Republic of India. It was formally constituted on 25 January 1950, in accordance with the Constitution, to ensure free and fair elections in the country. The ECI is responsible for administering federal (central) and state election processes, including elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the offices of the President and Vice President.
The ECI derives its authority from Article 324 of the Constitution and the subsequently enacted Representation of the People Act. It is an all-India body common to both the Central and State governments. The ECI is headed by a Chief Election Commissioner, who is provided with security of tenure and cannot be removed from office except on the same grounds and in the same manner as a judge of the Supreme Court. The Chief Election Commissioner is appointed by the President of India, and the current structure of the ECI includes two additional Election Commissioners, bringing the total number of commissioners to three.
The Election Commission is responsible for scrutinising and accepting applications from candidates willing to contest in the elections. It sets limits on poll-related expenditure by candidates during election campaigns and appoints officers of the Indian Revenue Service from the Income Tax Department as election observers. The ECI operates various electronic media platforms, including websites and mobile applications, to enable functions such as addressing grievances, checking electoral rolls, and disseminating information on candidates.
The ECI has taken several measures to ensure fair elections and encourage voter participation. These include the introduction of electronic voting machines (EVMs) to reduce malpractices and improve efficiency, the use of state-owned electronic media for political campaigning, and the provision of voter identity cards. The ECI also issues a Model Code of Conduct for political parties and candidates to ensure free and fair elections, with the Code of Conduct being first issued in 1971 for the 5th Lok Sabha elections and revised periodically.
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The ECI was established in 1950 to foster the democratic process in India
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutionally mandated autonomous body established on 25 January 1950. The ECI was formed to foster the democratic process in India by administering federal and state election processes. It is headquartered in New Delhi and consists of three commissioners: a Chief Election Commissioner and two other commissioners. The ECI is responsible for conducting free and fair elections in India, ensuring that the elections are held at regular intervals as per the principles enshrined in the Constitution, Electoral Laws and System.
The ECI derives its authority from Article 324 of the Constitution of India, which provides the commission with the power of superintendence, direction, and control of the entire process for conducting elections to the Parliament and Legislature of every State, as well as to the offices of the President and Vice-President of India. The commission is responsible for scrutinizing and accepting applications from candidates willing to contest in the elections, setting limits on poll-related expenditure, and appointing officers of the Indian Revenue Service as election observers.
The ECI operates various electronic media, including websites and mobile applications, to enable functions such as addressing grievances, checking electoral rolls, disseminating information on candidates, and announcing results. Voting in India is done using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), which were introduced by the ECI to reduce malpractices and improve efficiency. The ECI has also undertaken several measures to keep elections fair and encourage voter participation, such as using state-owned electronic media for political campaigning, checking the criminalization of politics, and providing voter identity cards.
The ECI is an important body in ensuring the smooth conduct of elections in India, and it has played a crucial role in fostering the democratic process in the country since its establishment in 1950.
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The ECI is responsible for scrutinising and accepting applications of election candidates
The Election Commission of India (ECI) was formally constituted on 25 January 1950. It is a permanent and autonomous constitutional body established by the Constitution of the Republic of India to ensure free and fair elections in the country. The ECI is headed by a chief election commissioner and consists of two other election commissioners as members.
- The ECI receives candidate nominations, which are traditionally submitted via a paper method but are then digitised and uploaded.
- On the day of scrutiny, the Returning Officer (RO) examines the nomination papers and supporting documents, marking them as either ''Accepted', 'Rejected', or 'Withdrawn' if the candidate has withdrawn their nomination.
- The RO prepares the final list of contesting candidates and assigns election symbols to each candidate.
- The ECI also takes details of the candidate's assets and liabilities in an affidavit at the time of submitting the nomination paper.
- Candidates are required to provide details of their poll-related expenditure within 30 days of the declaration of results.
- In addition, the ECI sets limits on poll-related expenditure by candidates during election campaigns.
The ECI's scrutiny and acceptance of applications help ensure the integrity of the election process and maintain free and fair elections in India.
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The ECI operates various electronic media to enable functions like checking electoral rolls
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutional body established by the Constitution of the Republic of India to ensure free and fair elections. The ECI was formally constituted on 25 January 1950 as a single-member body, with only the Chief Election Commissioner as its sole member.
The ECI operates various electronic media, including websites and mobile applications, to enable functions like checking electoral rolls, disseminating information on candidates, addressing grievances, announcing results, and monitoring assigned tasks. The ECI also utilises electronic voting machines (EVMs) to improve efficiency and reduce malpractices. These EVMs were first trialled in 1982 and later introduced on a large scale.
The ECI plays a crucial role in India's electoral process, including administering elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the offices of the President and Vice President. It prepares, maintains, and updates electoral rolls, supervises candidate nominations, registers political parties, and monitors election campaigns and their funding. The ECI also facilitates media coverage of the election process, organises polling booths, and oversees the counting of votes and declaration of results.
The ECI has undergone structural changes over the years, transitioning between a single-member and multi-member body. In 1989, the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18, leading to the appointment of two additional election commissioners to cope with the increased workload. The ECI currently consists of a Chief Election Commissioner and two other commissioners, who are appointed by the President of India and enjoy the status of Supreme Court judges.
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The ECI is headquartered in New Delhi and consists of three commissioners
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutionally mandated autonomous body established on 25 January 1950. It is headquartered in New Delhi and consists of three commissioners: a chief election commissioner and two other commissioners. The ECI is responsible for administering federal (central) and state election processes in India, including elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies. It also administers elections to the offices of the President and Vice President of India.
The ECI has the power of direction, superintendence, and control over the entire process of conducting elections. It operates under the authority of the Constitution, specifically Article 324, and the subsequently enacted Representation of the People Act. The commission is responsible for scrutinizing and accepting applications from candidates willing to contest in the elections. It also sets limits on poll-related expenditure by candidates during election campaigns.
The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners are appointed by the President of India. They have a tenure of six years or until they reach the age of 65, whichever comes first. The commissioners cannot be dismissed from office except by parliamentary impeachment or on the same grounds and in the same manner as a judge of the Supreme Court.
To ensure free and fair elections, the ECI introduced electronic voting machines (EVMs) to reduce malpractices and improve efficiency. The ECI also operates various electronic media platforms, including websites and mobile applications, to enable functions such as addressing grievances, checking electoral rolls, and disseminating information on candidates.
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Frequently asked questions
The Election Commission of India was formally constituted on 25 January 1950.
The ECI was first established as a single-member body, consisting of only the Chief Election Commissioner.
The Chief Election Commissioner is appointed by the President of India.
The ECI became a multi-member body on 16 October 1989, when two additional Election Commissioners were appointed to cope with the increased work of the commission following the reduction of the voting age from 21 to 18.
The ECI currently consists of a Chief Election Commissioner and two other Election Commissioners.
