Page 13 - NIS ENGLISH 16-31 JAN 2022

Election Laws (Amendment) Bill Nation
TIME FOR POLL REFORMS

During the election, you must have read and heard about bogus voting or fake
voter ID cards in many places. To address this, the Government has passed
the Election Law (Amendment) Bill 2021, which allows the voter card to extract
gender information from the Aadhar card. It will transform India's reputation as
the world's largest democracy into the world's strongest democracy.

hether it's Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha,
"Wor Panchayat elections, they should
all utilise the same voter list." To do so, we
must first create a path. Why are we wasting
time and money when there is a distinct voter
list for each one? Now the age limit of 18 Important changes:
years is fixed for each one. There used to be
a difference in age, so it was a little different,
but now there isn't.” Linking of Voter ID with Aadhaar is voluntary, not
This statement of Prime Minister Narendra mandatory. People will now get a chance to get
Modi, delivered at a meeting of presiding their names included in the voter list four times a
officers on the occasion of Constitution year. January 1 (which is already there), April 1, July
1 and October 1.
Day last year, was simply an indication of Substitution of the word “wife” with the word
India's electoral reforms moving forward. “spouse”, making the statutes gender-neutral.
Moving on in this approach, both Houses Service voter status to the husbands of women
of Parliament approved the Election Laws soldiers.
(Amendment) Bill, 2021, during the Winter The Election Commission may use any premises
Session. for conducting elections, for counting of votes, for
Despite the fact that it is voluntary, the storing voting machines and voting material, and as
linking of the voter ID card with the Aadhaar accommodation for security forces and personnel.
number is the most important. However, in
a large country like India, it may play a role Benefits of linking Voter ID with Aadhaar-
in future elections. Not only will this prevent This will help in preventing bogus voting and
false voter ID cards, but it will also prevent bogus votes. It will prevent multiple enrolments of
fake voting. the same person at different places. The election
Apart from that, fake voter ID is also used database will be strengthened. Overseas voters
for a number of illegal activities. Mobile will be able to vote from anywhere.
connections are being taken indiscriminately
and ration cards are being made with the Don't get confused
use of fake voter ID. In addition, several Voluntary Linking: The proposed linkage
additional government facilities are being between Aadhaar and the election database is
taken. There will be less scope for rigging in voluntary.
elections. This bill is being considered very No risk of deprivation of the right to vote: No
important from the point of view of electoral application for inclusion of name in the electoral
reforms, because at present you can add roll will be rejected and no name will be removed
your name in the voter list only once. But from the voter list in the event of any person's
following the rule you will get this chance 4 inability to furnish or inform the Aadhaar
times in a year. number.

New India Samachar January 16-31, 2022 11