The Credibility of the Election Commission of India: Challenges and the Need for Transparency
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity and Governance (Election Commission of India - ECI, its powers and functions, Electronic Voting Machine - EVM, Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail - VVPAT).
Mains:
GS Paper 2: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies (ECI); Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act; Role of civil society and pressure groups in a democracy.
Key Highlights from the News
The credibility of an electoral system depends on even those who lose having faith in its outcome.
The article argues that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is currently facing a crisis of confidence.
The re-verification of voter lists in Bihar and the opposition's allegations of irregularities in the 2024 general election are all part of this.
The ECI is being questioned on all aspects, including voter list preparation, election scheduling, enforcement of the code of conduct, vote counting, and grievance redressal.
Lack of transparency in the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system and the arbitrary nature of random VVPAT slip counting are major concerns.
Not all political parties have equal ability to monitor all stages of the electoral process.
It is not enough to convince political parties; the ECI's primary duty is to ensure the complete trust of ordinary citizens in the electoral process. The article concludes that the ECI needs to improve its working methods for this.
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