{"id":97135,"date":"2026-04-08T11:55:52","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T06:25:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=97135"},"modified":"2026-04-08T11:55:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T06:25:52","slug":"chief-election-commissioner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/chief-election-commissioner\/","title":{"rendered":"Chief Election Commissioner &#8211; Appointment, Powers and Removal Process"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Chief Election Commission Latest News<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notices seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar were rejected due to a lack of evidence.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Office of the Chief Election Commissioner<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) is the head of the Election Commission of India, a constitutional body established under <\/span><b>Article 324<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the Constitution.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Commission is responsible for conducting free and fair elections to Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Appointment of CEC<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CEC is appointed by the President of India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As per the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, the appointment is made on the recommendation of a selection committee comprising:\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prime Minister,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Union Cabinet Minister.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This aims to bring transparency and balance in the selection process.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Tenure<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CEC holds office for a term of <\/span><b>six years or until the age of 65 years<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, whichever is earlier.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The conditions of service cannot be varied to their disadvantage after appointment, ensuring independence.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Powers and Functions<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Election Commission, headed by the CEC, enjoys wide-ranging powers under Article 324.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These include:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Superintendence, direction, and control of elections.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preparation and revision of electoral rolls.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conduct of free and fair elections.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monitoring election expenditure and enforcing the Model Code of Conduct.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Commission also has plenary powers to act in areas where laws are silent, ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Removal Process<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The removal of the CEC is similar to that of a Supreme Court judge.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under <\/span><b>Article 324(5)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the CEC can be removed only on grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. The process requires:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A motion passed in both Houses of Parliament.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Special majority (majority of total membership and two-thirds of members present and voting).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This high threshold ensures institutional independence and protects the office from arbitrary removal.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>News Summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla rejected notices submitted by Opposition MPs seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The presiding officers held that the <\/span><b>Opposition failed to provide sufficient proof and that the allegations did not establish a prima facie case of \u201cmisbehaviour,\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which is a constitutional requirement for removal.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The notices were signed by 63 Rajya Sabha members and 130 Lok Sabha members and included seven charges against the CEC. These charges were examined in detail and subsequently rejected.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The presiding officers stated that the allegations either lacked evidence, related to matters already adjudicated, or were currently under judicial consideration.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They emphasised that such issues did not meet the \u201chigh constitutional bar\u201d required to initiate removal proceedings under <\/span><b>Articles 324(5) and 124(4)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Allegations Made Against the CEC<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Several specific allegations were addressed. Claims regarding the CEC\u2019s appointment being \u201ctainted\u201d were dismissed, as the pendency of a legal challenge does not constitute misbehaviour.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, allegations of bias or differential treatment between the government and the opposition lacked demonstrable evidence.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The refusal to share electoral data or provide machine-readable electoral rolls was found to be consistent with legal provisions and Supreme Court directions, including considerations of privacy under the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/right-to-privacy\/#:~:text=Puttaswamy%20Judgement,-A%20nine%2Djudge&amp;text=2017.,Part%20III%20of%20the%20Constitution.\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Puttaswamy judgment<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Issues related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were also examined.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Basis of Rejection of the Allegations<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The presiding officers reiterated that the Election Commission has plenary powers under Article 324 and that the Supreme Court has affirmed its competence in such matters.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allegations of contempt of court and lack of institutional independence were rejected as either falling under judicial jurisdiction or being vague and unsupported by evidence.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overall, the decision reinforced the constitutional safeguards surrounding the office of the CEC and highlighted the stringent standards required for initiating removal proceedings.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/opposition-failed-to-provide-proof-say-presiding-officers-on-cec-removal-plea\/article70834509.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chief Election Commissioner of India is in focus as removal plea is rejected, highlighting constitutional safeguards and institutional independence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":97141,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[6694,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-97135","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-chief-election-commissioner","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97135"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97135\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97152,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97135\/revisions\/97152"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}