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Election Commission of India

About Election Commission of India

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What is Election Commission of India (ECI)?

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is an autonomous and permanent constitutional body responsible for organising free and fair elections in the Union and States of India. The Constitution grants the ECI with the power of direction, superintendence, and control of elections to Parliament, state legislatures, the office of president of India and the office of vice-president of India. The ECI does not deal with the elections to the urban bodies such as Municipalities and Panchayats in the states and hence, a separate State Election Commission.

Powers and responsibilities

The Commission’s functions and powers with respect to elections are divided into three categories (Administrative, Advisory, and Quasi-judicial). In detail, these powers include

1) Determining the Electoral Constituencies’ territorial areas throughout the country.
2) Preparing and periodically revising electoral rolls and registering all eligible voters.
3) Notifying the schedules and dates of elections and scrutinising nomination papers.
4) Granting recognition to the various political parties and allocating them election symbols.
5) The Commission also has advisory jurisdiction in the matter of post-election disqualification of sitting members of Parliament and State Legislatures.
6) It issues the Model Code of Conduct in elections for political parties and candidates so that no one indulges in unfair practice or there is no arbitrary abuse of powers by those in power.

Composition of Election Commission

Since its inception in 1950, the election commission had been a one-member body with only the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) as its sole member. Later, two more election commissioners were appointed to the body and the Election Commission became a multi-member body with 3 election commissioners. The President appoints the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners. The tenure of office and the conditions of service of all the commissioners is determined by the President. The chief and the two other election commissioners have the same powers and emoluments including salaries, which are the same as a Supreme Court judge. In case of a difference of opinion amongst the three members, the matter is decided by the Commission by a majority.

Article 324

Article 324 of The Constitution of India mentions the provisions to safeguard and ensure the independent and impartial functioning of the Election Commission.
The chief election commissioner is provided with security of tenure. He cannot be removed from his office except in the same manner and on the same grounds as a judge of the Supreme Court. In other words, he can be removed by the President on the basis of a resolution passed to that effect by both the Houses of Parliament with a special majority, either on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. Any other election commissioner or a regional commissioner cannot be removed from office except on the recommendation of the chief election commissioner.

Latest Updates on Election Commission of India

Matter related to duplicate voter card numbers a 'legacy issue': EC sources

The poll body had recently clarified that irrespective of the EPIC number, an elector can cast a vote only at their designated polling station

Updated On: 11 Mar 2025 | 6:49 AM IST

Congress slams EC's response on duplicate voter IDs as 'duplicitous'

Amid allegations of a cover-up over duplicate voter identity card numbers, the poll panel earlier in the day said it would address the "decades-long" matter in the next three months

Updated On: 08 Mar 2025 | 7:49 AM IST

Duplication of voter card numbers does not indicate fake voters: EC

It also said that while elector photo identity card numbers of some of the voters may be identical, other details including demographic details, assembly constituency and polling booth are different

Updated On: 02 Mar 2025 | 12:52 PM IST

Ruling, opposition parties prepare for Jharkhand assembly face-off

He also alleged that incidents of paper leaks were earlier confined to recruitment tests only, but now it is happening even in board examinations

Updated On: 23 Feb 2025 | 11:28 PM IST

Gyanesh Kumar takes over as CEC, Vivek Joshi as Election Commissioner

Kumar stated that in accordance with the Constitution, the electoral laws and rules issued therein, the Election Commission always stood with the voters

Updated On: 19 Feb 2025 | 11:07 AM IST

'Hastily' taken decision: Congress criticises Centre's CEC appointment

The announcement of Kumar's appointment came shortly after the selection panel, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, proposed his name

Updated On: 18 Feb 2025 | 2:42 PM IST

Meet Gyanesh Kumar, India's Chief Election Commissioner and his tasks ahead

Gyanesh Kumar is a retired Indian Administrative Service officer from the 1988 batch of the Kerala cadre

Updated On: 18 Feb 2025 | 5:05 PM IST

Gyanesh Kumar becomes CEC: How the appointment process has changed

Here's all you need to know about the changed process of selection of Chief Election Commissioner and issues surrounding it

Updated On: 18 Feb 2025 | 9:07 AM IST

Outgoing CEC calls for early verdicts on poll cases, regulation of freebies

The outgoing CEC said online reporting of political party expenditures has begun and must be made mandatory for better financial transparency and analytics

Updated On: 18 Feb 2025 | 12:01 AM IST

Cong claims centre wants to control EC, asks govt to hold CEC appointment

The selection committee is learnt to have recommended the name of the next CEC to President Droupadi Murmu, sources said on Monday

Updated On: 17 Feb 2025 | 9:44 PM IST

Rajiv Kumar's term ends Feb 18, new election body chief to be named soon

After Rajiv Kumar, Gyanesh Kumar is the senior-most election commissioner. His tenure is till January 26, 2029. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu is the other election commissioner

Updated On: 14 Feb 2025 | 5:30 PM IST

Jharkhand lone outlier as youth voter share declines, shows ECI data

Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Sikkim, West Bengal, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh witnessed some of the sharpest declines of young electors

Updated On: 13 Feb 2025 | 11:14 PM IST

SC to hear pleas challenging new law for CEC, EC appointments on Feb 19

Bhushan said the urgency in the matter is that CEC Rajiv Kumar is scheduled to superannuate on February 18 and the government may appoint the new CEC under the 2023 law

Updated On: 12 Feb 2025 | 12:37 PM IST

Delhi election results 2025: How to check live results on ECI website

Delhi election results 2025: As vote counting continues for the Delhi Assembly elections on Saturday, the BJP has taken an early lead over the AAP

Updated On: 08 Feb 2025 | 11:56 AM IST

AAP vs EC on Form 17C: Kejriwal launches website for 'voting transparency'

AAP and election commission clash over Form 17C transparency on election eve. What is Form 17C

Updated On: 08 Feb 2025 | 10:16 AM IST

Akhilesh alleges electoral Misconduct in Milkipur Bypoll, calls ECI 'dead'

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed that police officials were illegally checking voters' ID cards at polling centres, creating an atmosphere of fear and indirectly influencing voting pattern

Updated On: 06 Feb 2025 | 6:10 PM IST

Milkipur Assembly bypoll: Over 44% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm

While voting is underway at polling booths, Samajwadi Party leaders alleged that police are checking the identity cards of voters to "create fear" in them

Updated On: 05 Feb 2025 | 1:14 PM IST

Delhi Assembly elections: 19.95 per cent voter turnout recorded till 11 am

The highest voter turnout was recorded in the North East district at 24.87 per cent and Babarpur was leading among constituencies at 31.30 per cent

Updated On: 05 Feb 2025 | 1:13 PM IST

Delhi polls: Over 30K police personnel, 220 paramilitary companies deployed

Nearly 3,000 polling booths have been identified as sensitive, and special security arrangements, including drone surveillance, Quick Reaction Team, Striking Team and CAPF

Updated On: 05 Feb 2025 | 11:10 AM IST

Delhi Assembly elections: PM Modi urges voters to cast their vote

Polling for 70 assembly seats began on Wednesday morning in Delhi, as voters cast their ballots for the 8th Assembly amid tight security

Updated On: 05 Feb 2025 | 10:56 AM IST