Evolution of the Election Commission of India (1950–2025)

Formation and Early Years

·         25 January 1950 – The Election Commission of India was established under Article 324 of the Constitution of India.

·         The Commission was originally a single-member body.

·         First Chief Election Commissioner (CEC): Sukumar Sen (1950–1958).

·         First General Elections: Held in 1951–52 with over 173 million registered voters.

---

Transition to Multi-Member Body

·         Until 1989 – The Commission had only one CEC.

·         1989 (Rajiv Gandhi Govt.) – For the first time, the Commission became a three-member body, but it was reverted back to a single-member structure in 1990.

·         1 October 1993 onwards – Permanently made a multi-member body with one CEC + two Election Commissioners.

o    All three have equal powers; in case of differences, decisions are taken by majority vote.

---

Major Developments in Different Periods

1950s–1970s

·         Conducted the first four Lok Sabha elections (1951–52, 1957, 1962, 1967).

·         Managed elections during political instability, including split in the Congress and frequent state-level changes.

·         Introduced electoral rolls and voter ID slips (manually maintained).

1980s

·         Growing concern over booth capturing, violence, and money power in elections.

·         S.L. Shakdhar and R.K. Trivedi (CECs) emphasized electoral reforms.

1990s (Turning Point Era)

·         T.N. Seshan (1990–1996) – Revolutionized the Election Commission.

o    Enforced the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) strictly.

o    Introduced Voter ID Cards.

o    Reduced malpractices like booth capturing and misuse of government machinery.

o    Transformed ECI into a powerful, independent institution.

·         Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were introduced experimentally in 1998 (Kerala assembly by-election) and fully implemented in 2001–2004 elections.

2000s

·         J.M. Lyngdoh, T.S. Krishnamurthy, N. Gopalaswami served as CECs.

·         2004 & 2009 Lok Sabha elections – Fully electronic voting through EVMs.

·         Expanded use of photo electoral rolls.

·         Stricter monitoring of election expenses and paid news.

2010s

·         V.S. Sampath, Nasim Zaidi, A.K. Joti, O.P. Rawat, Sunil Arora served as CECs.

·         NOTA (None of the Above) introduced in 2013 (Supreme Court directive).

·         VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) introduced in 2013, made mandatory in 2019 Lok Sabha elections across all constituencies.

·         Increased use of technology – online voter registration, cVIGIL app for reporting violations.

2020s (Present Era)

·         CEC Sushil Chandra (2021–2022), followed by Rajiv Kumar (2022–present, as of 2025).

·         Managed elections during COVID-19 with safety protocols.

·         Use of social media monitoring to curb misinformation.

·         Strengthened expenditure monitoring and seizure of black money/liquor/drugs during elections.

·         Ongoing debates: Simultaneous elections (“One Nation, One Election”), voting rights for NRIs, and remote voting technology.

---

Current Structure (2025)

·         One Chief Election Commissioner + Two Election Commissioners.

·         Current Chief Election Commissioner (CEC): Rajiv Kumar (since 15 May 2022).

·         Other Election Commissioners (2025): Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu (appointed in March 2024).

---

✅ Summary:
The Election Commission of India, since its formation in 1950, has grown from a single-member setup into a powerful, multi-member constitutional authority ensuring free and fair elections. Landmark reforms under T.N. Seshan, adoption of EVMs, VVPAT, NOTA, and increasing use of technology have made Indian elections one of the largest and most transparent democratic exercises in the world.