Election Commission of India
#GS-02 Governance
For Prelims:
Election Commission of India:
- The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional body responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India.
- It is responsible for administering elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country.
- Part XV of the Indian constitution deals with elections, and establishes a commission for these matters.
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Constitutional Articles related to Elections in India |
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| 324 | Superintendence, direction and control of elections to be vested in an Election Commission. |
| 325 | No person to be ineligible for inclusion in, or to claim to be included in a special, electoral roll-on grounds of religion, race, caste or sex. |
| 326 | Elections to the House of the People and to the Legislative Assemblies of States to be on the basis of adult suffrage. |
| 327 | Power of Parliament to make provision with respect to elections to Legislatures. |
| 328 | Power of Legislature of a State to make provision with respect to elections to such Legislature. |
| 329 | Bar to interference by courts in electoral matters. |
Constitutional Provisions regarding ECI:
- The election commission shall consist of the Chief Election Commissioner and a such number of other election commissioners, if any, as the President may from time-to-time fix.
- The appointment of the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners shall be made by the President.
- When any other election commissioner is so appointed the Chief Election Commissioner shall act as the chairman of the election commission.
- The President may also appoint after consultation with the election commission such regional commissioners as he may consider necessary to assist the election commission.
- The conditions of service and tenure of office of the election commissioners and the regional commissioners shall be such as the President may by rule determine.
Composition of Election Commission:
- Originally the commission had only one election commissioner but after the Election Commissioner Amendment Act 1989, it has been made a multi-member body.
- The commission currently consists of one Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.
