Election Commission of India

Infobox Government agency
agency_name = Election Commission of India
nativename =
nativename_a =
nativename_r =

logo_width = 80
logo_caption = Election Commission of India


seal_width =
seal_caption =
formed = January 25 1950
preceding1 =
preceding2 =
dissolved =
superseding =
jurisdiction = flagicon|IND Government of India
headquarters = New Delhi
employees =
budget =
minister1_name =
minister1_pfo =
minister2_name =
minister2_pfo =
chief1_name = N. Gopalaswami
chief1_position = Chief Election Commissioner
chief2_name = Navin Chawla
chief2_position = Election Commissioner
chief3_name = S. Y. Quereshi
chief3_position = Election Commissioner
parent_agency =
child1_agency =
child2_agency =
website = http://www.eci.gov.in
footnotes =

The Election Commission of India is an autonomous, quasi-judiciary constitutional body of India. Its mission is to conduct free and fair elections in India. It was established on January 25, 1950.

tructure

The commission presently consists of a Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.

Until October 1989, there was just one Chief Election Commissioner. In 1989, two Election Commissioners were appointed, but were removed again in January 1990. In 1991, however, the Parliament of India passed a law providing for the appointment of two Election Commission. This law was amended and renamed in 1993 as the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Conditions of Service) Amendment Act 1993. The current Chief Election Commissioner is N. Gopalaswami. The current Election Commissioners are Navin Chawla and S.Y. Quereshi.

Powers and duties

The Election Commission enjoys complete autonomy and is insulated from any kind of executive interference. The body also functions as a quasi-judiciary body in matters of electoral disputes and other matters involving the conduct of elections. Its recommendations and opinions are binding on the President of India. However, the decisions of the body are liable for independent judiciary reviews by courts acting on electoral petitions.

The Election Commission is responsible for planning and executing a whole gamut of complex operations that go into the conduct of elections. During the elections, the entire Central (Federal) and State government machinery including para-military forces and the Police is deemed to be on deputation to the Election Commission which takes effective control of personnel, movable and immovable Government Properties it deems necessary for successful completion of the electoral process.The Apart from conducting elections to representative bodies, the Election Commission has been on many occasions, called upon by the Courts to oversee and execute elections to various governing bodies of other autonomous organisations, such as Syndicates of Universities, statuatory professional bodies, etc.

Chief Commissioners

#Sukumar Sen : 21 March 1950 to 19 December 1958
#KVK Sundaram : 20 December 1958 to 30 September 1967
#SP Sen Verma : 1 October 1967 to 30 September 1972
#Dr Nagendra Singh : 1 October 1972 to 6 February 1973
#T Swaminathan : 7 February 1973 to 17 June 1977
#S.L.Shakdhar : 18 June 1977 to 17 June 1982
#RK Trivedi : 18 June 1982 to 31 December 1985
#RVS Peri Sastri : 1 January 1986 to 25 November 1990
#Smt V. S. Ramadevi : 26 November 1990 to 11 December 1990
#T.N. Seshan : 12 December 1990 to 11 December 1996
#M. S. Gill : 12 December 1996 to 13 June 2001
#J. M. Lyngdoh : 14 June 2001 to 7 February 2004
# T S Krishna Murthy : 8 February 2004 to 15 May 2005
# B B Tandon : 16 May 2005 to 28 June 2006
# N Gopalaswami: 29 June 2006 to present

Appointment and tenure of commissioners

The President appoints Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners. Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners have tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65 years and 62 years respectively, whichever is earlier. They enjoy the same status and receive salary and perks as available to Judges of the Supreme Court of India. The Chief Election Commissioner can be removed from office only through impeachment by Parliament.

External links

* [http://www.eci.gov.in/ Official site]
* [http://www.eci.gov.in/Links/Links.asp Links to Official Web Sites of Chief Electoral Officers of 28 States and 7 UTs]
* [http://search.eci.gov.in/ ECI's Online Voters List] Options: 'Voter Name' search Parliamentary, Assembly constituency wise. Also one can get full Electoral Rolls 'Voting Booth' wise.