{"id":33645,"date":"2024-12-13T18:27:49","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T12:57:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=33645"},"modified":"2024-12-13T18:27:51","modified_gmt":"2024-12-13T12:57:51","slug":"union-cabinet-approves-bills-on-simultaneous-polls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/13-12-2024\/union-cabinet-approves-bills-on-simultaneous-polls","title":{"rendered":"Union Cabinet Gives Approval for Bills on Simultaneous Polls (ONOE)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Syllabus: GS2\/ Polity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In News<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the One Nation, One Election (ONOE) plan.\n
      \n
    • Draft legislation will be introduced in the Parliament, potentially during the ongoing Winter Session.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      What is One Nation, One Election?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • It means to synchronize elections for the Lok Sabha (Lower house of Parliament) and state legislative assemblies, essentially holding them all at the same time.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • It aims to:\n
          \n
        • Reduce the frequency of elections.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Streamline governance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Minimize electoral expenditure and disruption.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          Proposed Amendments to Articles<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          • 82A:<\/strong> To facilitate delimitation for synchronized elections.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • 83(2): <\/strong>To amend the tenure of Lok Sabha and assemblies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • 327:<\/strong> To give Parliament the power to make provisions for simultaneous elections.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • New Article 324A:<\/strong> To empower the Election Commission to conduct synchronized elections.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Ram Nath Kovind Committee Recommendations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            • The committee, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, made 11 key recommendations after extensive consensus-building efforts:\n
                \n
              • Reinstating Simultaneous Elections: <\/strong>Frequent elections disrupt the economy, polity, and society. Synchronizing elections will alleviate this burden.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Phased Implementation: Phase 1<\/strong>: Align Lok Sabha and state assembly elections.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Phase 2<\/strong>: Synchronize municipal and panchayat elections within 100 days of general elections.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Appointed Date for Synchronization:<\/strong> Post-general elections, the President to notify the date for the first Lok Sabha session as the “appointed date” to maintain alignment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Shortened Terms for State Assemblies:<\/strong> Newly-formed state assemblies will have adjusted terms to synchronize with the next Lok Sabha elections.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Implementation Group<\/strong>: A dedicated group to oversee and ensure effective execution of ONOE reforms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Constitutional Amendments:<\/strong> Introduce Article 324A to enable synchronized elections for panchayats and municipalities.\n
                  \n
                • Amend Article 325 to establish a unified voter roll and photo ID system for all elections.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Handling Hung Houses: <\/strong>In case of a hung house or no-confidence motion, elections will be held, but the newly-elected Lok Sabha or state assembly will serve only the remaining term.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Election Equipment Readiness: <\/strong>The Election Commission of India (ECI) should ensure the procurement of adequate EVMs and VVPATs to manage synchronized elections efficiently.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Unified Voter Roll and ID System:<\/strong> A single voter roll and ID system for all elections, subject to constitutional amendments and state ratification.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Efficient Electoral Management:<\/strong> Advanced planning and robust infrastructure development to ensure smooth execution of simultaneous elections.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Continued Synchronization: <\/strong>All future elections will align with the Lok Sabha schedule unless dissolved earlier.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                  Need for ONOE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                    \n
                  • Reduced Expenditure: <\/strong>Holding simultaneous elections could significantly reduce the financial burden on the exchequer and political parties.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Streamlined Governance: <\/strong>Frequent elections disrupt governance as the Model Code of Conduct comes into effect, restricting policy announcements and development work. ONOE could provide more stability and continuity in governance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Improved Voter Turnout:<\/strong> A single election cycle might increase voter participation as it reduces voter fatigue and simplifies the electoral process.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Reduced Disruption:<\/strong> Minimizes disruption to normal life and economic activity caused by frequent elections.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Manage Security Concerns:<\/strong> A lot of Security forces are deployed on election time that can be efficiently used.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    Key Challenges and Concerns<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                      \n
                    • Constitutional Amendments:<\/strong> Implementing ONOE requires significant amendments to the Constitution, which could be politically challenging.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • Federalism:<\/strong> Critics argue that ONOE could undermine India’s federal structure by centralizing electoral power and reducing the importance of state-level issues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • Regional Diversity: <\/strong>India’s diverse political landscape and regional aspirations could be overshadowed by national issues in a synchronized election cycle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • Logistical Complexity: <\/strong>Conducting simultaneous elections across a vast and diverse country like India poses significant logistical challenges for the Election Commission.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                      Way Forward<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                        \n
                      • Wider Consultations: <\/strong>Engage with all stakeholders, including political parties, states, and the public, to build consensus.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Pilot Implementation:<\/strong> Test ONOE at smaller scales to identify challenges and refine the framework.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Infrastructure Development:<\/strong> Equip the ECI with resources, technology, and personnel for efficient execution.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

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                        The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the One Nation, One Election (ONOE) plan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33645","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\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33645"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33645\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33646,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33645\/revisions\/33646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}