Election Commission, Electoral Rolls and Institutional Accountability

29 Sep 2026

Context: The article responds to the Election Commission of India (ECI) press note of September 26 concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and reported differences within the Commission.The author argues that the ECI’s clar...

Independence of the Election Commission Begins with Its Appointment

26 Sep 2026

Context: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to function as a neutral constitutional authority because free and fair elections form part of the Basic Structure of the Constitution.The Supreme Court has been examining challenges to the...

Removal of the Chief Election Commissioner: Constitutional Process and Safeguards

25 Sep 2026

Context: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar following reports of internal disagreements within the Election Commission of India (ECI).Opposition parties have...

Special Intensive Revision: Internal Dissent within the Election Commission

24 Sep 2026

Context: Electoral rolls require periodic revision to remove errors and ensure that all eligible citizens can vote. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is constitutionally responsible for conducting such exercises.The ongoing Special Intensive Rev...

Appointment of Election Commissioners: Why the Supreme Court Referred the Issue to the CJI

24 Sep 2026

Context: The Supreme Court is examining challenges to the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which changed the composition of the selection committee for the...

Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls: Concerns over ECI Functioning

24 Sep 2026

Context: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has faced concerns over the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision-making, database management and procedures for deletion and verification of electors.Reported internal disagree...

Public Services, Welfare and Electoral Accountability

21 Sep 2026

Context: In an electoral democracy, citizen preferences should influence public-good provision, since governments seeking re-election have incentives to respond to voters.Yet, in India, the quality of schools, healthcare, public transport, water, ele...

Aadhaar, Electoral Rolls and the Debate over Electoral Roll Revision

15 Sep 2026

Context: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls by the Election Commission of India (ECI) has been conducted in phases since June 2025 and has expanded to cover most of the country.The exercise has reportedly resulted in the deletion...

Regulation of Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs)

11 Sep 2026

Context: A BBC News Hindi investigation found that six Gujarat-based Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) received around ₹1,700 crore in donations in 2023–24, exceeding the ₹1,480 crore received collectively by five nationally recognise...

Why is the Centre Opposed to Totalisers?

06 Sep 2026

Context: On 1 September, the Supreme Court asked the Central government to examine introducing totaliser machines for counting votes recorded through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).The objective is to protect the secrecy of booth-wise voting...