Page 19 - NIS English 16-31 Jan, 2026

COVER STORY

National Voters’ Day Special
Evolution of the Electoral
System in India

n India is the world's largest democracy and has been a leading
proponent of electoral democracy for the past seven decades. The term of office of Election
When the country gained independence on August 15, Commissioners is 6 years
1947, planning and conducting general elections to elect a The Chief Election Commissioner and the
representative government based on universal adult suffrage two Election Commissioners are given the
was one of the top priorities. same salary and allowances as a judge of the
n The Election Commission was formally constituted on January 25, Supreme Court. All three commissioners
1950, a day before India became a sovereign democratic republic. have equal powers in decision-making. In case
n The Constitution empowers the Election Commission to be of a difference of opinion on any matter,
a single-member or multi-member body depending on the the decision is taken by a majority vote.
The term of office of the Chief Election
requirements from time to time. The first Chief Election Commissioner and the other two Election
Commissioner was appointed Commissioners is 6 years or until they attain
on March 21, 1950. The the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
current Commission has three
members, including Chief
Election Commissioner Gyanesh
Kumar, along with two Election
Commissioners, Dr Sukhbir Singh
Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi.

Election
1950 The Election Commission was Anecdotes
formally constituted.

1989 On October 16, 1989, the Election Women Refused to
Commission was converted into a
Disclose Their Names
3-member body.
When the first general election was
On January 1, 1990, the Election
1990 Commission was again converted announced in the country, representatives
of the Election Commission went from
into a single-member body. village to village to collect election-related
information and data. During their visits
On October 1, 1993, the Election
1993 Commission was again converted to the villages, they encountered a large
into a 3-member body. number of women who refused to share
their names
with strangers.
Instead, these
ing a reliable electoral roll is a constitutional responsibility of women identified
themselves as
the Commission. According to this article, the Commission someone’s wife,
is empowered with the authority to supervise, direct, and mother, daughter,
control the preparation of the electoral roll and the conduct sister, or widow.
of elections to Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies. As a result, 28
This constitutional body is further empowered by the Rep- lakh names were
resentation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of removed from
the electoral rolls
Electors Rules, 1960 (RER-1960). Article 326 also stipulates during the first
that every citizen of India who has attained the age of 18 general election.
years on a specified date and is not disqualified under any
law has the right to be registered as a voter. Furthermore,