Which of the following reflects the correct legal and administrative authority of the Election Commission regarding the preparation of electoral rolls and the inclusion or exclusion of names?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Solution: The correct answer is The Election Commission supervises the preparation and revision of electoral rolls, but actual changes are made through Electoral Registration Officers, and citizens have the right to appeal exclusions.
Explanation:
☛ Under Article 324 of the Constitution of India, the superintendence, direction, and control of the preparation of electoral rolls is vested in the Election Commission of India (ECI).
☛ According to the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the actual administrative work of preparing, updating, and revising electoral rolls in a constituency is performed by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).
☛ Names are added, modified, or deleted based on prescribed procedures (such as Form 6 for new registration, Form 7 for deletion, and Form 8 for correction).
☛ Under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, any citizen aggrieved by an order of the ERO regarding inclusion or exclusion has a statutory right to appeal before the designated appellate authority (the District Magistrate / Additional District Magistrate).
Extra Exam-Relevant Facts:
☛ Article 325: Mandates that there shall be one general electoral roll for every territorial constituency, and no person is ineligible or included on grounds only of religion, race, caste, or sex.
☛ Article 326: Defines universal adult suffrage, establishing that every citizen of India who is not less than 18 years of age is entitled to be registered as a voter.
☛ 61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988: Reduced the voting age from 21 years to 18 years, coming into effect in 1989.
☛ Chief Electoral Officer (CEO): Supervised by the ECI at the state level to oversee election work and electoral roll preparation.
Important One-Liners for Upcoming Exams:
☛ Which Article of the Indian Constitution provides for the establishment of the Election Commission? → Article 324
☛ Under which Act are Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) appointed? → Representation of the People Act, 1950
☛ Which constitutional amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 years? → 61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988
☛ Which form is submitted by a citizen for fresh inclusion of name in the electoral roll? → Form 6
☛ On which date is National Voters' Day celebrated annually in India? → 25th January