STATE ELECTION COMMISSION (SEC)
1. Context
Following the Supreme Court’s directions, Maharashtra will hold local body elections in three phases, beginning on December 2. The first phase covers 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats, while the second will include 32 of 34 zilla parishads and 336 of 351 panchayat samitis. The municipal corporation elections will be held in the last phase. The court has directed that all elections be completed by January 31, 2026. The exercise comes amid Opposition criticism of errors and duplication in the voters’ lists.
2. Can the State Election Commission delete duplicate names?
- No, the State Election Commission (SEC) is not empowered to include or remove names from the electoral rolls. The Constitution grants the SEC authority over the supervision, direction, and control of elections to municipal and rural local bodies.
- But under the five State Local Body Acts, the SEC does not create a separate voter list. It relies on the electoral rolls prepared by the Election Commission of India (ECI) under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and simply divides them according to the respective wards of the local bodies.
- For the upcoming local body polls, the Maharashtra SEC will use the electoral roll updated up to July 1, 2025—that is, the list reflecting all additions and modifications made by the Chief Electoral Officer till that date.
- However, the cut-off date for registering first-time voters remained January 1, 2025. Consequently, many young individuals who turned 18 after January 2025 are disappointed that they will not be eligible to vote in the forthcoming elections
3. What does the State Election Commission (SEC) do?
- The State Election Commission (SEC) is the constitutional authority responsible for ensuring that elections to local bodies—such as municipalities, municipal corporations, panchayats, and other rural and urban local institutions—are conducted freely and fairly.
- Its primary role is to oversee the entire election process at the local level. This includes announcing the election schedule, supervising the nomination of candidates, monitoring campaigning, and ensuring the polling and counting processes take place without bias or interference.
- While the SEC controls and directs how local elections are carried out, it does not prepare the voter lists itself. Instead, it relies on the electoral rolls created by the Election Commission of India under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
- The SEC takes those rolls and adapts them to the relevant local wards or constituencies. Apart from managing election logistics, it also handles issues like enforcing the model code of conduct for local polls, resolving disputes related to the conduct of elections, and issuing guidelines to ensure transparency and integrity in the voting process
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4. Administrative Reforms Commission Recommendation
- The Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) was set up by the Government of India to suggest measures for improving the efficiency, accountability, and responsiveness of the Indian administration.
- Over its reports—both the First ARC (1966–70) and the Second ARC (2005–2009)—it made wide-ranging recommendations to strengthen governance, modernize public institutions, and enhance citizen-centric administration.
- The ARC emphasised that the Indian administrative system had become over-centralised, rule-bound, and slow, and therefore required structural, procedural, and behavioural reforms.
- It recommended redefining the role of the government, decentralising power to states and local bodies, and making the bureaucracy more transparent and accountable.
- The Commission also advocated simplifying procedures, reducing delays, and leveraging technology to make public service delivery more efficient.
- One of the central themes of the ARC’s suggestions was improving the quality of public servants. It argued for reforms in recruitment, training, performance evaluation, and promotion systems to ensure that officials are competent, motivated, and ethical.
- It highlighted the need for a code of ethics, stronger vigilance mechanisms, protection for whistle-blowers, and steps to curb corruption.
- The ARC also pushed for strengthening institutions of accountability such as the Lokpal/Lokayuktas, the CBI, and audit bodies. In areas like e-governance, it encouraged the use of digital tools and transparent processes to reduce human discretion and improve service delivery. In police reforms, it recommended insulation from political interference and improved training.
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For Prelims: Election Commission of India, Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991, State Election Commission, Article 324, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs).
For Mains: 1. Discuss the powers and functions of the Election Commission of India. How does the Election Commission ensure the conduct of free and fair elections in the Country? (250 words).
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Previous year Question1. Consider the following statements: (UPSC 2017)
1. The Election Commission of India is a five-member body.
2. Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections.
3. Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognized political parties.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 3 only
Answer: D
2. Consider the following statements : (UPSC 2021)
1. In India, there is no law restricting the candidates from contesting in one Lok Sabha election from three constituencies.
2. In the 1991 Lok Sabha Election, Shri Devi Lal contested from three Lok Sabha constituencies.
3. As per the- existing rules, if a candidate contests in one Lok Sabha election from many constituencies, his/her party should bear the cost of bye-elections to the constituencies vacated by him/her in the event of him/her winning in all the constituencies.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. 1 and 3
D. 2 and 3
Answer: B
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Source: The Hindu
