Question

Write a note on the Election Commission.

Answer 1

Instructions:
In this particular question, we will give a brief description of the Election Commission and then discuss its powers and functions.

Solution:
The Constitution of India has established a permanent and independent body to ensure free and fair elections in the country known as the Election Commission.
The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, state Legislative Assemblies, state Legislative Councils, and the offices of the President and Vice President of the country. The ECI does not deal with the elections to the urban bodies such as municipalities and panchayats in the states.
The State Election Commission deals with the function of conducting free, fair and impartial elections to the local bodies in the state.

The powers of the Election Commission of India are as follows:

• Firstly, the election commission determines the Electoral Constituencies’ territorial areas throughout the country. Moreover, it also helps in preparing and periodically revising electoral rolls and registering all eligible voters.
• Secondly, the election commission grants recognition to the various political parties and allocates election symbols to them. It also notifies the schedules and dates of elections and scrutinises nomination papers.
• Thirdly, it determines the code of conduct to be followed by the political parties and candidates during elections. It also counts the votes received by each candidate and announces the winner.
• Lastly, the Election Commission supervises the machinery of elections throughout the country for ensuring the conduct of free and fair elections. The commision has to prepare electoral roll and issue Electronic Photo Identity Card (EPIC). It also sets limits of campaign expenditure per candidate to all the political parties, and monitors the same.

For all its tasks, the Commission is aided in its function by deputy election commissioners. The deputy ECs are taken from the civil services and they are appointed by the Commission. They are aided by the secretaries, deputy secretaries, joint secretaries, and under-secretaries posted in the commission’s secretariat.