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Electoral Reforms in India: Tarkunde, Goswami & EVM Rules

Part XV of the Constitution of India, spanning Articles 324 to 329, establishes the absolute bedrock of the Indian electoral system and its massive democratic representation mechanisms. The institutional framework revolves entirely around the Election Commission of India, a permanent and independent constitutional body established in 1950 to superintend, direct, and completely control elections. Statutory origins of the electoral mechanics are deeply embedded in the Representation of the People Acts of 1950 and 1951, which prescribe highly detailed qualifications, disqualifications, and corrupt practices. Historical context highlights continuous systemic efforts to cleanse the political arena, primarily driven by successive high-level committees such as the Tarkunde, Goswami, and Indrajit Gupta committees on state funding.

Core operational mechanics involve the continuous updating of massive electoral rolls, the deployment of electronic voting machines with voter verifiable paper audit trails, and strict enforcement of the model code of conduct. Statutory provisions rigidly regulate political party registration under Section 29A, while specific procedural stages of election expenditure monitoring aim to effectively curb the illegal influence of unaccounted monetary resources. Administrative hierarchies operate precisely through Chief Electoral Officers at the state level, District Election Officers, and Returning Officers who directly manage the logistical complexities of constituency-level voting. Analytical principles of these reforms strictly target the decriminalization of politics, ensuring internal party democracy, and maintaining absolute transparency in campaign finance mechanisms like the highly controversial electoral bonds. Practical implementation has witnessed massive technological integration, significantly reducing booth capturing and systemic electoral fraud that historically plagued the voting infrastructure during the late twentieth century.

Landmark Supreme Court rulings heavily define this sector; specifically, the Lily Thomas judgment struck down Section 8(4) of the RPA, thereby ensuring the immediate disqualification of convicted legislators. The People Union for Civil Liberties case fundamentally transformed voter rights by mandating the inclusion of the None of the Above option on balloting devices across all national constituencies. State PSC and central examinations consistently test the composition of the Election Commission, specifically the recent legislative alterations regarding the appointment committee involving the Prime Minister and designated cabinet ministers.
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  1. #1
    The Tarkunde Committee (1975) recommended lowering the voting age from 21 to 18, realised through the 61st Amendment (1988).
  2. #2
    The Dinesh Goswami Committee (1990) proposed structural reforms including statutory backing for Model Code of Conduct and EVM deployment.
  3. #3
    The Indrajit Gupta Committee (1998) recommended state funding of elections strictly in kind rather than cash subsidies.
  4. #4
    In PUCL v. Union of India (2013), the Supreme Court directed the inclusion of the NOTA option on ballot papers and EVMs.
  5. #5
    In Subramanian Swamy v. ECI (2013), the Supreme Court ordered nationwide implementation of VVPAT systems for verifiable auditing.
  6. #6
    The K. Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption (1964) first highlighted the pervasive influence of corporate finance and unaccounted donations in electoral politics.
  7. #7
    The V.M. Tarkunde Committee was appointed in 1974 by Jayaprakash Narayan on behalf of the Citizens for Democracy organisation to propose institutional election safeguards.
  8. #8
    The Law Commission of India's 170th Report (1999) proposed introducing a partial list system alongside the first-past-the-post framework to ensure proportional legislative representation.
  9. #9
    In Union of India v. Association for Democratic Reforms (2002), the Supreme Court mandated candidates to disclose criminal antecedents, assets, liabilities, and educational qualifications via sworn affidavits.
  10. #10
    In Lily Thomas v. Union of India (2013), the Supreme Court struck down Section 8(4) of the RPA 1951, ending the three-month disqualification protection for convicted lawmakers.
  11. #11
    Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were first deployed in fifty polling booths during the Paravur Assembly constituency by-election in Kerala in May 1982.
  12. #12
    Section 29C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 mandates political parties to submit annual contribution reports declaring donations exceeding 20,000 rupees to the Election Commission.
  13. #13
    In Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India (2024), a Constitution Bench struck down the Electoral Bond Scheme as unconstitutional under Article 19(1)(a).
  14. #14
    The Model Code of Conduct (MCC), initially formulated during the 1960 Kerala assembly elections, becomes operational immediately upon the formal announcement of election dates by the ECI.
  15. #15
    In Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015) and subsequent rulings, the Supreme Court upheld Section 126 of the RPA 1951 prohibiting campaign broadcasting 48 hours before polling conclusion.

Subject Specialist Commentary

Analytical perspective & practical exam advice from the Master10 academic board

Educator's Insight
Electoral reforms in India aim to curb criminality, increase transparency, and ensure fair democratic contests. Beginning in the 1970s, expert committees recommended essential upgrades: the 61st Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, Electronic Voting Machines eliminated booth capturing, and Supreme Court rulings required candidates to disclose assets and criminal backgrounds, strengthening citizen awareness and electoral integrity.
In UPSC Prelims and State PSC exams, questions frequently test electoral committees and landmark court rulings. Memorize key panels: the Tarkunde Committee recommended lowering the voting age, Dinesh Goswami championed EVMs, and Indrajit Gupta proposed state election funding in kind. A favorite MCQ trap involves judicial rulings: remember that the 2013 PUCL judgment introduced the NOTA option on ballots, while the 2013 Subramanian Swamy ruling mandated verifiable VVPAT paper audit trails on EVMs.

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