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Chief Election Commissioner of India: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Constitutional post to the Government of India}} | |||
{{distinguish|Election Commissioner of India}} | {{distinguish|Election Commissioner of India}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} | ||
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| insigniacaption = | | insigniacaption = | ||
| department = [[Election Commission of India]] | | department = [[Election Commission of India]] | ||
| image = | | image = CEC Rajiv Kumar.jpg | ||
| alt = | | alt = | ||
| caption = | | caption = Rajiv Kumar in his office | ||
| incumbent = [[ | | incumbent = [[Rajiv Kumar (civil servant)| Rajiv Kumar]] | ||
| incumbentsince = 15 May 2022 | |||
| incumbentsince = | |||
| style = | | style = | ||
| residence = | | residence = | ||
| nominator = [[ | | nominator = [[Council of Ministers]] | ||
| nominatorpost = | | nominatorpost = | ||
| appointer = [[President of India]] | | appointer = [[President of India]] | ||
| appointerpost = | | appointerpost = | ||
| termlength = 6 years or up to 65 years of age<br /> <small>(whichever is earlier)</small> | | termlength = 6 years or up to 65 years of age<br /> <small>(whichever is earlier)</small> | ||
| inaugural = | | inaugural = [[Sukumar Sen (civil servant)|Sukumar Sen]] | ||
| formation = | | formation = | ||
| last = | | last = | ||
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The '''Chief Election Commissioner of India''' heads the [[Election Commission of India]], a body constitutionally empowered to conduct free and fair elections to the national and state legislatures and of President and Vice-President. This power of the Election Commission of India is derived from the [[Part XV of the Constitution of India|Article 324]] of the [[Constitution of India]]. Chief Election Commissioner of India is usually a member of the [[Civil Services of India|Indian Civil Service]] and mostly from the [[Indian Administrative Service]]. It is very difficult to remove the authority of the Chief Election Commissioner once appointed by the president, as two-thirds of the [[Lok Sabha]] and the [[Rajya Sabha]] need to present and vote against him for disorderly conduct or improper actions. | The '''Chief Election Commissioner of India''' heads the [[Election Commission of India]], a body constitutionally empowered to conduct free and fair elections to the national and state legislatures and of President and Vice-President. This power of the Election Commission of India is derived from the [[Part XV of the Constitution of India|Article 324]] of the [[Constitution of India]]. Chief Election Commissioner of India is usually a member of the [[Civil Services of India|Indian Civil Service]] and mostly from the [[Indian Administrative Service]]. It is very difficult to remove the authority of the Chief Election Commissioner once appointed by the president, as two-thirds of the [[Lok Sabha]] and the [[Rajya Sabha]] need to present and vote against him for disorderly conduct or improper actions. | ||
Despite the recent{{When|date=June 2017}} changes in the hierarchy, the system always had powers to impose unambiguous rules and guidelines that applied across the entire nation e.g. as to how the ballots will be cast and counted, what will be regarded as 'unqualified' vote.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}} India was | Despite the recent{{When|date=June 2017}} changes in the hierarchy, the system always had powers to impose unambiguous rules and guidelines that applied across the entire nation e.g. as to how the ballots will be cast and counted, what will be regarded as 'unqualified' vote.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}} India was among the early countries to use a completely electronic ballot in the parliamentary elections in 2014,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/why-india-stands-out-as-a-gold-standard-in-electronic-voting/articleshow/58666910.cms?from=mdr|title=Why India stands out as a gold standard in electronic voting|date=2017-05-14|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2019-03-10}}</ref> which the [[Election Commission of India]] implemented across India's large and diverse population with many rural illiterate people. | ||
While the office has always been an important one in the machinery of the Indian political process, it gained significant public attention during the tenure of [[T.N. Seshan]], from 1990 to 1996. Seshan is widely credited with undertaking a zealous effort to end corruption and manipulation in Indian elections.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Das|first1=Sanjib Kumar|title=The man who cleaned up | While the office has always been an important one in the machinery of the Indian political process, it gained significant public attention during the tenure of [[T.N. Seshan]], from 1990 to 1996. Seshan is widely credited with undertaking a zealous effort to end corruption and manipulation in Indian elections.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Das|first1=Sanjib Kumar|title=The man who cleaned up India's elections|url=http://gulfnews.com/culture/people/the-man-who-cleaned-up-india-s-elections-1.1326815|access-date=10 August 2016|work=Gulf News|date=1 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Narasimhan|first1=T. E.|title=The more you kick me...|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/-the-more-you-kick-me-112051200032_1.html|access-date=9 August 2016|work=Business Standard|date=12 May 2012}}</ref><ref name=india1>{{cite news|last1=Srivastava|first1=Ritesh K.(The Observer)|title=Empowering the EC|url=http://zeenews.india.com/blog/empowering-the-ec_658.html|access-date=19 December 2014|publisher=Zee News|date=5 March 2012}}</ref> | ||
== Suggested reforms == | == Suggested reforms == | ||
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! Salary | ! Salary | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style="text-align:right;" | {{INRConvert|250|k|lk=}} monthly<ref name="Election Commission (Condition of Service of Election Commissions And Transaction of Business) Act, 1991"/><ref name="HC and SC Judges Salaries and Conditions of Service Amendment Bill 2008">{{cite web|title=The High Court and Supreme Court Judges Salaries and Conditions of Service Amendment Bill 2008|url=http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/1230018357/1230018357_The_High_Court_and_Supreme_Court_Judges__Salaries_and_Conditions_of_Service__Amendment_Bill__2008.pdf|publisher=PRS India}}</ref> | | style="text-align:right;" | {{INRConvert|250|k|lk=}} monthly<ref name="Election Commission (Condition of Service of Election Commissions And Transaction of Business) Act, 1991"/><ref name="HC and SC Judges Salaries and Conditions of Service Amendment Bill 2008">{{cite web|title=The High Court and Supreme Court Judges Salaries and Conditions of Service Amendment Bill 2008|url=http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/1230018357/1230018357_The_High_Court_and_Supreme_Court_Judges__Salaries_and_Conditions_of_Service__Amendment_Bill__2008.pdf|publisher=PRS India|access-date=17 September 2012|archive-date=22 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822023037/http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/1230018357/1230018357_The_High_Court_and_Supreme_Court_Judges__Salaries_and_Conditions_of_Service__Amendment_Bill__2008.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
|} | |} | ||
By the "Election Commission (Condition of Service of Election Commissions And Transaction of Business) Act, 1991", the salary of the chief election commissioner is the same as salary of a Judge of [[Supreme Court of India]].<ref name="Election Commission (Condition of Service of Election Commissions And Transaction of Business) Act, 1991">{{cite web|title=Election Commission (Condition Of Service Of Election Commissions And Transaction Of Business) Act, 1991|url=http://vakilno1.com/bareacts/Laws/Election-Commission-Condition-Of-Service-Of-Election-Commissions-And-Transaction-Of-Business-Act-1991.htm|publisher=Vakil No. 1|access-date=17 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123122252/http://vakilno1.com/bareacts/Laws/Election-Commission-Condition-Of-Service-Of-Election-Commissions-And-Transaction-Of-Business-Act-1991.htm|archive-date=23 January 2013}}</ref> If there are other election commissioners appointed by the President to help the chief election commissioner, they also receive the same salary. | By the "Election Commission (Condition of Service of Election Commissions And Transaction of Business) Act, 1991", the salary of the chief election commissioner is the same as salary of a Judge of [[Supreme Court of India]].<ref name="Election Commission (Condition of Service of Election Commissions And Transaction of Business) Act, 1991">{{cite web|title=Election Commission (Condition Of Service Of Election Commissions And Transaction Of Business) Act, 1991|url=http://vakilno1.com/bareacts/Laws/Election-Commission-Condition-Of-Service-Of-Election-Commissions-And-Transaction-Of-Business-Act-1991.htm|publisher=Vakil No. 1|access-date=17 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123122252/http://vakilno1.com/bareacts/Laws/Election-Commission-Condition-Of-Service-Of-Election-Commissions-And-Transaction-Of-Business-Act-1991.htm|archive-date=23 January 2013}}</ref> If there are other election commissioners appointed by the President to help the chief election commissioner, they also receive the same salary. | ||
==List of | ==List of Election Commissioners== | ||
The following have held the post of the Chief Election Commissioner of India.<ref>{{cite web |url= | The following have held the post of the Chief Election Commissioner of India.<ref>{{cite web |title=Former Chief Election Commissioners |url=https://eci.gov.in/former-cec-ec/ |publisher=[[Election Commission of India]] |access-date=19 May 2022}}</ref> | ||
{| class="wikitable" style="width: | {| class="wikitable" style="width:60%;" | ||
|- | |- | ||
! No. | ! No. | ||
! Name | ! Name | ||
! width=75|Portrait | ! width=75|Portrait | ||
! colspan=" | ! colspan="3"|Term of office | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1 | | 1 | ||
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|[[Sushil Chandra]] | |[[Sushil Chandra]] | ||
| [[File:Sushil Chandra, Election Commissioner of India (cropped).jpg|75px]] | | [[File:Sushil Chandra, Election Commissioner of India (cropped).jpg|75px]] | ||
|13 April 2021<ref>https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sushil-chandra-appointed-chief-election-commissioner/article34303884.ece | |13 April 2021<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sushil-chandra-appointed-chief-election-commissioner/article34303884.ece|title = Sushil Chandra appointed Chief Election Commissioner|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 12 April 2021|last1 = Nath|first1 = Damini}}</ref> | ||
|Incumbent | |14 May 2022 | ||
|- | |||
|25 | |||
|[[Rajiv Kumar (civil servant)| Rajiv Kumar]] | |||
| | |||
|15 May 2022 | |||
|''Incumbent''<ref>{{cite news |title=Rajiv Kumar takes charge as 25th Chief Election Commissioner, says EC won’t shy away from tough calls |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rajiv-kumar-assumes-charge-as-chief-election-commissioner/article65416424.ece |access-date=19 May 2022 |work=The Hindu |date=15 May 2022 |language=en-IN}}</ref> | |||
|} | |} | ||