Q. With reference to the Election Commission of India, consider the following statements:
1.It is responsible for conducting elections for the President and Vice President.
2.The President of India has the discretionary power to remove the Chief Election Commissioner from office due to the misconduct or improper behavior.
3.The term of office for an Election Commissioner is five years from the date of joining the office.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation –
Statement 1 is correct. The Election Commission of India is responsible for conducting elections for the offices of the President and Vice President of India, as well as elections to Parliament, state legislatures. The Commission ensures that elections are conducted in a free, fair, and impartial manner, following the rules and regulations outlined in the Indian Constitution and various election-related laws.
Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect. The President of India does not have discretionary power to remove the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) from office due to misconduct or improper behavior. The removal process for the CEC is defined in Article 324 of the Indian Constitution, which states that the CEC can only be removed in the same manner as a judge of the Supreme Court. The President does not have the unilateral power to remove the CEC based on misconduct or improper behavior. The term of office for an Election Commissioner, including the Chief Election Commissioner, is six years or until they reach the age of 65, whichever comes earlier.
Source: Forum IAS