Page 24 - NIS English 16-31 Jan, 2026

COVER STORY

National Voters’ Day Special

Election Process

The opportunities available to EVMs and VVPATs have
you in the future of India will made it easier, with multiple
depend on those who govern levels of verification

the country during this period. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter
Therefore, the responsibility Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) are
now used at every polling station. There
of electing the right people is a process for allocating which EVM and

rests on you, the young voters. VVPAT will be used where; they are assigned
It is essential for you to vote randomly. After the symbols are loaded
into the EVMs, a mock poll of 1000 votes is
to ensure a bright future for conducted on 5% of the EVMs, which the
India. So remember, your single candidates or their representatives have the
right to observe...
vote and the direction of the
country’s development are
interconnected.

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

LAW ENACTED FOR THE FIRST TIME TO
APPOINT ELECTION COMMISSIONERS

The law for the appointment of Election Commis-
sioners – the Chief Election Commissioner and
Other Election Commissioners (Appointment,
Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023
– was passed on March 2, 2023. Previously, there
was no law; appointments were made based on a
system that was in place. The Supreme Court drew
attention to this matter, and Parliament enacted
the law. For 73 years, there was no law governing
the appointment of election commissioners in this
country. From 1950 to 1979, the Election Commis-
sion was a single-member body. The Prime Min- would require consultation with all stakeholders, which
ister made the appointments directly. Then the would take some time. The Supreme Court then sug-
Election Commission was made a multi-member gested that until a law is enacted, a committee should be
body. This means that from 1950 to 2023, there formed comprising the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice
was no law for the appointment of election com- of the Supreme Court, and the Leader of the Opposition.
missioners. In 2023, a case, Anoop Baranwal vs. The central government agreed to this. Subsequently, in
Union of India, came before the Supreme Court. 2023, Parliament enacted a law under which the Leader
In that case, the Supreme Court said that the of the Opposition, a minister designated by the Prime
appointment of election commissioners should Minister, and the Prime Minister himself would discuss
be more transparent. This was a suggestion, not and appoint the Chief Election Commissioner and other
an order. The government agreed and said that it Election Commissioners.

22 NEW INDIA SAMACHAR || January 16-31, 2026