Explanation: Article 324 of the Constitution has made the following provisions with regard to the composition of election commission:

• The Election Commission shall consist of the chief election commissioner and such number of other election commissioners, if any, as the president may from time to time fix.
• The appointment of the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners shall be made by the president.

Since its inception in 1950 and till 15 October 1989, the election commission functioned as a single member body consisting of the Chief Election Commissioner. On 16 October 1989, the president appointed two more election commissioners to cope with the increased work of the election commission on account of lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18 years. Thereafter, the Election Commission functioned as a multimember body consisting of three election commissioners. However, the two posts of election commissioners were abolished in January 1990 and the Election Commission was reverted to the earlier position. Again in October 1993, the president appointed two more election commissioners. Since then and till today, the Election Commission has been functioning as a multi-member body consisting of three election commissioners.

The powers and functions are:

• To determine the territorial areas of the electoral constituencies throughout the country on the basis of the Delimitation Commission Act of Parliament.
• To prepare and periodically revise electoral rolls and to register all eligible voters.
• To notify the dates and schedules of elections and to scrutinize nomination papers.
• To grant recognition to political parties and allot election symbols to them.
• To act as a court for settling disputes related to granting of recognition to political parties and allotment of election symbols to them.
• To appoint officers for inquiring into disputes relating to electoral arrangements.

Source: Laxmikanth