{"id":16797,"date":"2023-08-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/14-08-2023\/glaring-omission\/"},"modified":"2023-08-14T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-14T00:00:00","slug":"glaring-omission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/14-08-2023\/glaring-omission","title":{"rendered":"Glaring omission"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<html><body><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align:center\"><span style=\"font-size:20pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><u>Glaring omission<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Constitutional Bodies, Representation of People\u2019s Act<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> was recently introduced in Rajya Sabha.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong><u>Election Commission of India<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Establishment: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The Election Commission of India was established in accordance with the Constitution on 25th January 1950.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Functions &#038; Powers:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">It is a permanent and independent body responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Power of superintendence, direction and control of elections to parliament, state legislatures, the office of president of India and the office of vice president of India is vested with the election commission.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">It is not concerned with the elections to panchayats and municipalities in the states.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">For this, the Constitution of India provides for a separate State Election Commission.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Other Constitutional provisions:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Article 325: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">No person to be ineligible for inclusion in, or to claim to be included in a special electoral roll on the ground of religion, race, caste or sex.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Article 326:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> Elections to the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies of States to be on the basis of adult suffrage.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Article 327: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Power of Parliament to make provision with respect to elections to legislature.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Article 328: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Power of Legislature of a State to make provision with respect to elections to such Legislature.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Article 329:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> Bar to interference by courts in electoral matters.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong><u>Composition of Election Commission of India<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>About: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The Election Commission of India consists of the chief election commissioner and a number of other election commissioners, as fixed by the President.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Originally the commission had only a Chief Election Commissioner.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">It currently consists of the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Constitutional Provisions (Article 324 to Article 329 (Part XV))\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Article 324:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> Entails the provisions related to the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The President of India appoints the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">President also determines the conditions of service and tenure of office of the election commissioners and the regional commissioners.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The Constitution has not prescribed the qualifications (legal, educational, administrative or judicial) of the members of the Election Commission.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Tenure and Removal:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The chief election commissioner and other election commissioners hold office for a term of six years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">They can resign at any time or can also be removed before the expiry of their term.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The process and the grounds for removal of the chief election commissioner are the same as that of a judge of the Supreme Court.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">He can be removed by the president on the basis of a resolution passed to that effect by both the Houses of Parliament with the special majority, either on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. Thus, he does not hold his office till the pleasure of the president, though he is appointed by him.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Independence:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The chief election commissioner is provided with the security of tenure.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The service conditions of the chief election commissioner cannot be varied to his disadvantage after his appointment.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Any other election commissioner or a regional commissioner cannot be removed from office except on the recommendation of the chief election commissioner.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Some flaws in safeguarding the independence and impartiality of the election commission are also noted, viz.,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The Constitution has not specified the term of the members of the Election Commission.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The Constitution has not debarred the retiring election commissioners from any further appointment by the government.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong><u>Recent Bill highlights<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>About:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The Union government in the bill, has proposed to have a <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>three-member selection panel<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> with a<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong> majority for the executive <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">for the appointment of members of the Election Commission.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The bill removed the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from a three-member panel to select the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Composition of Selection Panel:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The three-member panel would consist of a<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong> Cabinet Minister <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">besides the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Leader of Opposition (LoP)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> in the Lok Sabha, and the<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong> Prime Minister, who would head it<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">In case there is no Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lower House of Parliament, the leader of the single-largest Opposition party would be considered the LoP.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong><u>Need of the bill<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The Election Commission, led by a CEC and two other commissioners, is much too critical a body for the functioning of India\u2019s democracy and integrity of elections to leave exposed to charges of external influence.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">A Supreme Court judgement stated that the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Chief Justice of India (CJI) would decide the EC\u2019s leadership\u2014until the Centre came up with a law.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong><u>Criticisms<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">This composition of the selection panel puts a<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong> question mark on the neutrality of the Election Commission (EC)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> as the selection panel would effectively have two members of the ruling party\u2014 the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Minister.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">This bill<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong> may not subserve the objective<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> of protecting the poll watchdog\u2019s <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>independence<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">This<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong> runs counter to a recent judgment <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">of a Constitution Bench that envisaged an independent selection committee that included the Chief Justice of India.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The judgment was also in line with the recommendations of the Dinesh <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Goswami Committee in 1990 <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">and the<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong> Justice Tarkunde Committee in 1975<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong><u>Way ahead<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The Election Commission of India is a constitutional body that <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>not only conducts elections<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> but also renders a <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>quasi-judicial role<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">ECI has played a seminal role in the periodic conduct of elections, which have only seen greater participation from the electorate because of the largely free, fair and convenient nature of the process.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The need for a selection process that embodies insulation from executive preponderance makes sense. A non-partisan and independent ECI is a sine qua non for the robustness of electoral democracy.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>independent V-Dem Institute in Sweden<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">, which compares democracies worldwide, has downgraded India to an \u201celectoral autocracy\u201d, citing the loss in autonomy of the ECI.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<table cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"border-collapse:collapse; border:none; width:667px\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #000000; border-left:1px solid #000000; border-right:1px solid #000000; border-top:1px solid #000000; vertical-align:top; width:667px\">\n<p style=\"text-align:center\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong><u>Daily Mains Question<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>[Q] <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">How can neutrality of the Election Commission (EC) be maintained by a balanced composition of the selection panel for its members? What are the issues &#038; challenges?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Glaring omission Syllabus: GS2\/ Constitutional Bodies, Representation of People\u2019s Act In News The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, was recently introduced in Rajya Sabha. Election Commission of India Establishment: The Election Commission of India was established in accordance with the Constitution on 25th [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[29],"class_list":["post-16797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial-analysis","tag-thehindu"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/09\/3845292images.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16797\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}