National Voters Day | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

The Election Commission of India

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutional authority that independently manages elections in India. It conducts elections for various positions, such as the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, state legislatures, President, and Vice President, as mandated by the Constitution under Article 324 and the Representation of the People Act.

Recent Electoral Reforms:

• The Election Commission of India has made several positive interventions that have led to an increase in electoral participation. Free and fair elections attract more voters, and the ECI has taken various measures to attract voters, such as:
• Appointing "Awareness Observers" to report on voting numbers and reasons behind low or high participation in each constituency, so that ECI can work on resolving the hurdles.
• Implementing Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT)
• Introducing Short Message Service and Toll Free Numbers for people to ask details about the enrolment process and address of polling stations
• Instituting the "None of the Above" (NOTA) option, which allows voters to reject all candidates, as upheld by the Supreme Court in September 2013. However, the candidate with the most votes still wins the election.
• Conducting Live Monitoring of Sensitive Areas to prevent mischievous activities at the polling stations
• Launching the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme, which uses various modes and media to educate citizens, electors, and voters about the electoral process to increase their awareness and participation. The programme targets groups such as women, youth, urban voters, marginalized sections, service voters, NRIs, persons with disabilities, and prospective voters/students.
• Replacing ballot papers with electronic voting machines to make the voting process easier.
• Replacing cash donations with banking transactions through the use of Electoral Bonds, which makes the transactions more secretive and opaque.
• Organizing National Voters' Day, Voter Fest, and employing school children and renowned personalities as ambassadors to encourage people to cast their votes.

Challenges

• Money Power: There has been an increase in the role of money power in the form of voter bribery and funding of political parties. This trend has become a serious concern in recent times.
• Paid News: Media manipulation through paid news and other means has become rampant in the political arena. It is a matter of great concern as it influences the voters' opinions and choices.
• Criminalization of Politics: Over the last two decades, the influence of criminals in the political arena has increased significantly. The Vohra report clearly highlights the nexus between the criminal gangs, police, bureaucracy, and politicians in various parts of the country. Political parties continue to field candidates with criminal backgrounds.
• Misuse of Caste and Religion for Electoral Gains: The use of caste, religion, community, tribe, or any other form of group identity for electoral gain or to gather political support is unacceptable and must be discouraged.
• Issue of Electoral Bonds: Electoral bonds have raised concerns as they can be misused due to the lack of disclosure requirements for individuals purchasing them. They can bring black money into the political system and create a legal channel for companies to round-trip their tax haven cash to a political party. These bonds eliminate the 7.5% cap on company donations, allowing even loss-making companies to make unlimited donations.
• Hate Speech by Politicians: The use of hate speech by politicians is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. It can create communal tensions and incite violence, which can lead to grave consequences.
• EVM Tampering Issue and the Case for VVPATs: The issue of EVM tampering is a serious concern. The introduction of VVPATs can address this concern and ensure transparency in the electoral process.
• Financial Transparency in Political Parties: Ensuring financial transparency in political parties is a necessary precondition that must be satisfied before any meaningful electoral reforms can take place on the ground.
• Ensuring the Independence of the ECI: The independence of the Election Commission of India (ECI) is critical. The manner of appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs) was debated, and it was decided that the CEC should be appointed by the President, leaving it to the Legislature to enact a suitable law.

Way Forward

• The political leaders and the Election Commission must collaborate to find solutions to remove criminalization from elections.
• The infiltration of criminals in politics must be addressed with greater attention. Electoral reforms should be implemented to manage the growth of coalition politics. Other methods, like proportional representation, should be considered.
• There should be provisions to enable internal migrants, who make up a significant portion of the population, to vote. The feasibility of proxy voting for NRIs should also be explored. The consensus of all stakeholders involved should be sought.