Why is it in the news?
- The Election Commission of India (ECI), in its continuous effort to enhance the integrity and efficiency of conducting elections, has taken a significant technological leap by developing an in-house software system named ‘ENCORE’—short for Enabling Communications on Real-time Environment.
More about the news
- ENCORE aims to facilitate a more organized, transparent, and expedient election management workflow, thus reinforcing the ECI’s commitment to uphold the democratic ethos of the nation through the adoption of innovative technology.
- The ‘ENCORE Scrutiny Application’ digitizes the scrutiny process, enabling online status updates for nominations as Accepted, Rejected, or Withdrawn.
- Facilitates real-time tracking of voter turnout, contributing to more transparent and accountable elections.
- Automates the generation of statutory reports, significantly reducing manual work and the possibility of human error during counting.
- Publicly displays detailed information regarding the financial assets and liabilities of candidates.
- Enables government departments to issue ‘no objection’ certificates digitally for political events, ensuring timely permissions for rallies, roadshows, and public meetings.
| Election Commission of India
· Empowered to ensure free, fair, and smooth conduct of elections to various bodies and positions across the country. · Composed of a five-member team responsible for directing and overseeing the entire electoral process. · Conducts elections for the Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President of India. · Advises on post-election disqualification matters of members of Parliament and State Legislatures. · Settles disputes related to the splits/mergers of recognized political parties. · Implements and enforces the Model Code of Conduct, addressing any violations to maintain the integrity of elections.
Constitutional provisions: Part XV (Articles 324-329) establishes the framework for conducting elections in India and sets up the Election Commission. · Article 324: Grants the Election Commission the authority to supervise, direct, and control elections to the Parliament, state legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President. · Article 325: Ensures that every citizen has the right to be registered as a voter without discrimination based on religion, race, caste, or sex. · Article 326: Mandates that elections to the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies shall be on the basis of adult suffrage, meaning all citizens aged 18 years and above have the right to vote. · Article 327: Confers upon Parliament the power to make laws concerning all aspects of electoral procedures for legislatures. · Article 328: Allows state legislatures to legislate on matters pertaining to state electoral procedures within the limits provided by the Constitution. · Article 329: Prohibits courts from questioning the validity of any laws related to the delimitation of constituencies or the allotment of seats made under Article 327 and 328, and provides a specific bar on electoral matters during the electoral process. |
