Overview
Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of Indian democracy. The Election Commission of India is an independent constitutional body that ensures elections are conducted fairly. India runs the world's largest democratic elections — over 900 million eligible voters participated in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Election Commission of India (ECI)
Key Facts
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Article | Article 324 |
| Nature | Autonomous constitutional body |
| Composition | Chief Election Commissioner + Election Commissioners (usually 2) |
| Appointment | By President of India |
| Removal of CEC | Same as Supreme Court judge — impeachment by Parliament |
| Tenure | 6 years or until age 65, whichever is earlier |
| First CEC | Sukumar Sen (oversaw India's first general elections in 1951–52) |
| Headquarters | Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi |
Functions of the Election Commission
- Prepare and maintain electoral rolls (voters list)
- Conduct elections to Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Assemblies
- Conduct elections for President and Vice President
- Announce election schedule; enforce Model Code of Conduct
- Issue Election symbols to parties; recognize national/state parties
- Derecognize parties that fail to get minimum votes
- Take action against candidates/parties for violations
- Decide on disqualification cases of elected representatives
State Election Commission (SEC)
- Separate from the ECI
- Created by 73rd and 74th Amendments (Article 243K)
- Each State has an SEC for Panchayat and Municipal elections
- SEC members appointed by Governor
Types of Elections in India
| Election | House / Office | How Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Lok Sabha | 543 seats | Direct election by people (Universal Adult Franchise) |
| Rajya Sabha | 238 elected | Indirect election by elected MLAs of each state (STV) |
| State Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) | Varies | Direct election by people |
| President | — | Electoral College (elected MPs + elected MLAs) |
| Vice President | — | Both Houses of Parliament (all members including nominated) |
| Panchayat / Municipal | — | Direct election; governed by State laws |
Universal Adult Franchise and Voter Eligibility
Universal Adult Franchise (Article 326): Every citizen of India who is:
- At least 18 years old (reduced from 21 by 61st Amendment, 1988)
- Registered as a voter in an electoral constituency
- Not disqualified by law
Disqualifications from voting:
- Non-citizen
- Mental unsoundness (as declared by court)
- Corrupt practices or election offences (as convicted)
- Imprisonment
Electoral Rolls
- Prepared by Election Commission
- Annual revision — new voters added, dead voters removed
- EPIC (Election Photo Identity Card) — issued to all voters
- Aadhaar-Voter ID linking — optional but encouraged
Voting Machines and Procedures
EVM (Electronic Voting Machine)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| First used | Kerala, 1982 (limited); all-India from 1999 Lok Sabha |
| Fully implemented | 2004 Lok Sabha elections onwards |
| Advantages | Eliminates bogus voting; faster counting; no invalid votes |
| Manufactured by | BEL (Bharat Electronics Ltd) and ECIL |
VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail)
- Attached to EVM from 2019 elections
- Voter sees a printed slip showing their vote for 7 seconds before it drops into a sealed box
- Provides a paper trail for verification if needed
NOTA (None of the Above)
- Introduced from 2013 state elections (after PUCL vs Union of India Supreme Court judgment)
- Allows voters to reject all candidates
- Does NOT lead to re-election; purely expressive
- Candidate with most votes still wins even if NOTA gets more votes
Political Parties and Election Symbols
The ECI classifies parties as:
| Category | Recognition Criteria |
|---|---|
| National Party | Win 2% of Lok Sabha seats from at least 3 states, OR 6% votes in 4+ states + 4 Lok Sabha seats, OR recognized in 4+ states |
| State Party | Win 3% Assembly seats, OR 1 Lok Sabha seat + 6% votes in a state, OR 8% votes in state elections |
| Registered (Unrecognized) Party | Registered but not meeting above criteria |
Reserved election symbols are given only to recognized national and state parties.
Major National Parties (as of 2024)
BJP, INC, BSP, CPI, CPI(M), NCP, AITC (TMC), AAP, NPP
Model Code of Conduct (MCC)
- Voluntary code; no statutory backing — but EC enforces it strictly
- Comes into force with announcement of election dates
- Ends with announcement of results
- Covers:
- No new government schemes announced
- No use of government machinery for campaigning
- No incitement of communal/caste feelings
- Fair use of government media
- Clean campaign — no hate speech, no bribery
Important for Exam - ECI = Article 324; independent constitutional body - First CEC = Sukumar Sen - 61st Amendment 1988 = voting age reduced from 21 to 18 years - EVM used all-India from 1999 Lok Sabha; VVPAT from 2019 - NOTA introduced from 2013 (SC order) - Model Code of Conduct = from election announcement to result - State Election Commission conducts Panchayat/Municipal elections (73rd/74th Amendments)
Previous Year TNPSC Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.
Q1
The Election Commission of India is established under which Article?
Q2
The voting age in India was reduced from 21 to 18 by which Amendment?
Q3
Who was the first Chief Election Commissioner of India?
Q4
EVMs were used across all constituencies in India for the first time in which election?
Q5
NOTA (None of the Above) option was introduced in Indian elections from:
Q6
The Model Code of Conduct comes into force from: