Established on January 25, 1950, just a day before India became a Republic, Election Commission of India (ECI) is a permanent and autonomous constitutional authority. Entrusted with superintendence, direction, and control of elections under Article 324, it ensures smooth functioning of India’s democratic machinery.
1. Constitutional Foundation and Structure
The ECI is headquartered in New Delhi and derives its mandate from Part XV of the Constitution.
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Composition: Originally a single-member body, it has been a three-member commission since 1993. It consists of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two Election Commissioners (ECs).
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Appointment: Members are appointed by the President of India. As per the 2023 Act, selection is made based on recommendation of a committee (typically comprising the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition).
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Tenure and Security: They serve for a term of 6 years or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier. To ensure independence, the CEC can only be removed through a process similar to a Supreme Court judge (impeachment by Parliament).
2. Powers and Functions
Commission’s duties are broadly categorized into administrative, advisory, and quasi-judicial roles.
| Category | Primary Responsibilities |
| Administrative | Prepares electoral rolls, notifies election dates, and monitors campaign spending. |
| Advisory | Advises President or Governors on the disqualification of members of Parliament or State Legislatures. |
| Quasi-Judicial | Resolves disputes regarding recognition of political parties and allotment of election symbols. |
Model Code of Conduct (MCC)
It is a set of guidelines that comes into force the moment elections are announced, ensuring that ruling party does not misuse government machinery for campaigning and that a level playing field is maintained for all candidates.
3. Modern Innovations & 2025–26 Initiatives
ECI has evolved from using paper ballots to becoming a global leader in electoral technology.
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ECINet Digital Platform: Launched recently (January 2026), this unified one-stop portal integrates over 40 separate apps (like cVIGIL and Saksham) into a single interface for voters and officials.
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Special Intensive Revision (SIR): In late 2025, a nationwide SIR was launched to clean up electoral rolls, focusing on de-duplicating entries and linking death registration data to automatically remove deceased voters.
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EVMs and VVPATs: The use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) has virtually eliminated booth capturing and significantly speeded up counting process.
4. Challenges and Significance
Managing an electorate of over 97 crore voters across 10 lakh polling stations is a logistical issue. ECI faces modern challenges such as:
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Money Power: Controlling illegal election expenditure.
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Misinformation: Tackling fake news and social media manipulation.
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Voter Apathy: Encouraging urban and youth participation through programs like SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation).
Election Commission of India stands as a sentinel of democracy. By celebrating National Voters’ Day every January 25, it reinforces theme for 2026: “My India, My Vote — Citizen at the Heart of Indian Democracy.” Its ability to conduct peaceful transfers of power for over seven decades remains one of greatest achievements of modern governance.