{"id":362188,"date":"2026-05-05T15:34:42","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T10:04:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=362188"},"modified":"2026-05-05T15:34:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T10:04:42","slug":"model-code-of-conduct-explained-pointwise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/model-code-of-conduct-explained-pointwise\/","title":{"rendered":"Model Code of Conduct &#8211; Explained Pointwise"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accused of violating the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Model Code of Conduct (MCC)<\/strong><\/span> when his address was broadcast live on national television. In his speech, he named opposition parties and urged women voters to punish them for defeating the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>131st Constitution Amendment Bill<\/strong><\/span> in the Lok Sabha. The broadcast raises important questions under both the Code and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_362199\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-362199\" style=\"width: 768px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-362199 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/sentinelassam-english_2026-03-20_or2vlfm2_Model-Code-of-Conduct.avif\" alt=\"Model Code of Conduct\" width=\"768\" height=\"431\" srcset=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/sentinelassam-english_2026-03-20_or2vlfm2_Model-Code-of-Conduct.avif 768w, https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/sentinelassam-english_2026-03-20_or2vlfm2_Model-Code-of-Conduct.avif 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-362199\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: The Sentinel Assam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_290905\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-290905\" style=\"width: 750px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-290905 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/3-Coloum-Paragraph-Mind-Map-300-x-297-mm-300-x-400-mm-2-1.png?resize=750%2C1000&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Model Code of Conduct (MCC)\" width=\"750\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/3-Coloum-Paragraph-Mind-Map-300-x-297-mm-300-x-400-mm-2-1.png?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/3-Coloum-Paragraph-Mind-Map-300-x-297-mm-300-x-400-mm-2-1.png?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/3-Coloum-Paragraph-Mind-Map-300-x-297-mm-300-x-400-mm-2-1.png?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/3-Coloum-Paragraph-Mind-Map-300-x-297-mm-300-x-400-mm-2-1.png?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-290905\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Created By Forum IAS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; text-align: center;\"><strong>Table of Contents<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><a href=\"#toc1\">What is the Model Code of Conduct? What is the history of its evolution?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#toc2\">What are the key provisions of Model Code of Conduct (MCC)?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#toc3\">What is the significance of Model Code of Conduct?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#toc4\">What are the Challenges with the Model Code of Conduct?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#toc5\">What Should be the Way Forward?<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"toc1\"><\/a>What is the Model Code of Conduct? What is the history of its evolution?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Model Code of Conduct:<\/strong>\u00a0The Model Code of Conduct is a <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">set of guidelines<\/span> issued by the Election Commission of India for political parties and candidates <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">to maintain decorum<\/span> in their campaigning. It <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">lays down a list of dos and don\u2019ts for leaders and parties<\/span> ahead of elections. The Election Commission formalised it in 1968, revised it in 1974, and added Part VII on the <strong>&#8216;Party in Power&#8217;<\/strong> in 1979.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Duration of Model Code of Conduct:<\/strong>\u00a0The MCC comes into force <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">from the date the election schedule is announced<\/span> until the date that results are out.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Legal Enforceability of MCC:<\/strong>\u00a0MCC <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">does not have any statutory backing<\/span>. It has come to acquire strength in the past decade because of its strict enforcement by the EC. Certain provisions of the MCC may be enforced through <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">invoking corresponding provisions in other statutes<\/span> such as the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">IPC 1860<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">CrPC 1973<\/span>, and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">RPA 1951<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Penalties for its violation:<\/strong>\u00a0If the Election Commission <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">finds a party or candidate in violation of the Model Code of Conduct<\/span>, it can take measures from issuing a warning to ordering an FIR against the concerned party or candidate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>History of Evolution of Model Code of Conduct:<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"height: 270px; width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #f2f7b7;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 60px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 10.3261%; height: 60px;\"><strong>1960<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 89.6739%; height: 60px;\">The origin of the MCC lies in the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Assembly elections of Kerala in 1960<\/span>.<br \/>\nThe State administration prepared a \u2018Code of Conduct\u2019 for political actors.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 60px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 10.3261%; height: 60px;\"><strong>1962<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 89.6739%; height: 60px;\">ECI circulated the Model Code of Conduct to all recognized political parties &amp; State governments. It was followed in the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Lok Sabha Elections in 1962<\/span>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 60px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 10.3261%; height: 60px;\"><strong>1991<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 89.6739%; height: 60px;\">The EC decided to <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">enforce the MCC more strictly<\/span> after repeated flouting of the election norms.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 90px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 10.3261%; height: 90px;\"><strong>2014<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 89.6739%; height: 90px;\">The EC issued guidelines <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">prohibiting parties from making promises that exert an undue influence on voters<\/span>.<br \/>\nThe EC also suggested that manifestos must also indicate the means to achieve promises.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"toc2\"><\/a>What are the key provisions of MCC?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: groove; border-color: #000000; background-color: #f5f398;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 5.37355%;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>General Conduct<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 94.6264%;\">\n<ul>\n<li>No party or candidate <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">shall engage in any activity<\/span> which may <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension<\/span> between different castes and religious or linguistic communities.<\/li>\n<li>All parties and candidates <span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">shall avoid scrupulously all activities<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\"> which are &#8216;<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">corrupt practices<span style=\"color: #333333;\">&#8216;<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #333333;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\">and &#8216;<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">offences<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\">&#8216; under the election law, such as <\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">bribing of voters<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">intimidation of voters<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">impersonation of voters<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">canvassing within 100 meters of polling stations<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\">, holding <\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">public meetings during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the close of the poll<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\">, and the <\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">transport and conveyance of voters to and from polling station<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Parties and candidates <span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\">, which are not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of other parties.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 5.37355%;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Meetings<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 94.6264%;\">\n<ul>\n<li>The party or candidate <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">shall inform the local police authorities of the venue and time any proposed meeting well in time<\/span> so as to enable the police to make necessary arrangements for controlling traffic and maintaining peace and order.<\/li>\n<li>The party or candidate shall<span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\"> apply to the authority concerned well in advance<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\"> to <\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">obtain permission or license for the use of loudspeakers or any other facility<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\"> in connection with any proposed meeting.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 5.37355%;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Procession<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 94.6264%;\">\n<ul>\n<li>A Party or candidate organizing a procession <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">shall decide before hand the time and place of the starting of the procession<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">the route to be followed<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">the time and place at which the procession<\/span> will terminate.<\/li>\n<li>The organizers shall take steps in advance to arrange for passage of the procession so that there is <span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">no block or hindrance to traffic<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>The <span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">carrying of effigies<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\"> purporting to represent member of other political parties or their leaders, <\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">burning such effigies in public<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\"> and such other forms demonstration <\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">shall not be countenanced by any political party or candidate<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 5.37355%;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Polling Day<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 94.6264%;\">\n<ul>\n<li>All Political parties and candidates <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">shall co-operate with the officers on election duty to ensure peaceful and orderly polling<span style=\"color: #333333;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li>All Political parties and candidates <span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">shall refrain from serving or distributing liquor on polling day<\/span> <span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">and during the forty eight hours preceding it<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>All authorized party workers at polling booths <span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: #ff0000;\">should be given suitable badges or identity cards<\/span><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\">. Identity slips supplied by them to voters shall be on plain (white) paper and shall not contain any symbol, name of the candidate or the name of the party.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 5.37355%;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Polling Booth<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 94.6264%;\">\n<ul>\n<li>The EC <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">will appoint observers to whom any candidates may report problems<\/span> regarding the conduct of the election.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 5.37355%;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Party in Power<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 94.6264%;\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #333333;\">Ministers <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">shall not combine official visits with election work<\/span> or use official machinery for the same.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>The party in power shall <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">avoid advertising at the cost of the public exchequer<\/span> or <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">using official mass media for publicity on achievements<\/span> to improve chances of victory in the elections.<\/li>\n<li>Ministers and other authorities <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">shall not announce any financial grants<\/span>, or promise any construction of roads, provision of drinking water.<\/li>\n<li>Public spaces and rest houses <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">shall not be monopolized by the party in power<\/span> and other parties shall also be allowed to use them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 5.37355%;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Election Manifestos<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 94.6264%;\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #333333;\">The election manifesto <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">shall not contain anything against the ideals and principles enshrined<\/span> in the Constitution.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Political parties <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">shall avoid making promises that are likely to vitiate the purity of the election process<\/span> or exert undue influence on voters.<\/li>\n<li>Manifestos <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">shall reflect the rationale for promises<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">broadly indicate the ways and means to meet the financial requirements<\/span> for it.<\/li>\n<li>Manifestos <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">shall not be released during the prohibitory period <span style=\"color: #333333;\">(before 48 hours)<\/span><\/span>, as <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">prescribed under Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act 1951<\/span>, for single or multi-phase elections.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\"><a id=\"toc3\"><\/a>What is the significance of MCC?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Ensuring free and fair elections (Article 324):<\/strong> Model Code of Conduct aims to <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">address the issues of electoral malpractices<\/span> and ensure that elections are conducted in a free and fair manner.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ensures a Level Playing Field<\/strong>: The MCC prevents the ruling party (at the Centre or state) from misusing its official position or resources to gain an undue advantage over opponents for e.g. <strong>No announcement of new policies, schemes, or financial grants<\/strong> once the code is in force, <strong>Ban on using government machinery, vehicles, or personnel<\/strong> for campaigning, <strong>Bar on transferring officials<\/strong> who are connected with election work.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ensuring social harmony:<\/strong>\u00a0Model Code of Conduct aims to preserve social harmony by\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">proscribing the political parties and candidates <span style=\"color: #333333;\">in engaging in any activity which may aggravate existing differences<\/span><\/span>, create mutual hatred and cause tension between different castes and communities, religious and linguistic groups.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Encouraging transparency and accountability: <\/strong>MCC encourages transparency and accountability on part of the political parties to <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">reflect the rationale for their electoral promises<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">broadly indicate the ways and means to meet the financial requirements<\/span> for it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Creates Moral &amp; Political Authority<\/strong>: Though\u00a0<strong>not legally enforceable<\/strong> as a statute, the MCC has gained immense <strong>moral and political force<\/strong> over decades. Parties and candidates comply largely due to fear of ECI\u2019s punitive actions (e.g., barring a leader from campaigning, nullifying a victory, or deregistering a party).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"toc4\"><\/a>What are the Challenges with the Model Code of Conduct?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Lack of Statutory Backing:<\/strong>\u00a0The MCC is election commission&#8217;s <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">moral sanction<\/span> to get <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">political parties and candidates to fall in line<\/span>. But the norms of the Model Code of Conduct are flouted due to lack of legal backing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ineffectiveness in Curbing Malpractices:<\/strong>\u00a0The MCC has failed to prevent electoral malpractices such as <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">hate speech<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">fake news<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">money power<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">booth capturing<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">voter intimidation <\/span>and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">violence<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Challenges from evolving technologies:<\/strong> The MCC was designed for traditional media and rallies. MCC norms are also being increasingly challenged by new technologies like <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/upsc-current-affairs-news\/deepfakes-explained-pointwise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AI based deepfakes<\/a>, and social media platforms that enable faster and wider dissemination of misinformation and propaganda.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Vague Clauses:<\/strong>\u00a0Some MCC clauses, such as maintaining the &#8216;<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">purity of the election process<\/span>&#8216;, are subjective and can be misinterpreted. Phrases like &#8220;appealing to communal feelings&#8221; or &#8220;personal attacks&#8221; are subjective. <span class=\"citation-162 citation-end-162\">What one person considers a policy critique, another may see as a violation, leading to claims of bias in how the ECI interprets the code.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Reliance on Political Cooperation:<\/strong>\u00a0The MCC\u2019s effectiveness depends on the cooperation from political parties and governments. Parties and governments often indulge in the violation of MCC. <strong>For ex-<\/strong> <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Hate Speeches during election campaigning<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lack of Enforcement capacity of Election commission:<\/strong>\u00a0ECI suffers from the<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> shortage of functionaries<\/span> for the effective implementation of the MCC.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Interference with Governance:<\/strong>\u00a0ECI is criticized for the early application of MCC as it\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">imposes limitations on policy decisions<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">public spending<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">welfare schemes<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">transfers<\/span>, and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">appointments<\/span>. The blanket ban on new policy announcements and projects can stall critical, non-political administrative and development work.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Inconsistent &amp; Delayed Enforcement:\u00a0<\/strong>The ECI can be slow to act on complaints, especially against high-profile leaders, leading to allegations of bias and eroding public trust.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lack of Awareness and Compliance:<\/strong>\u00a0The provisions of the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Model code of conduct is not widely known or understood by voters<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">candidates<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">parties<\/span>, and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">government officials<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Exclusion of Party Expenditure<\/strong>: <span class=\"citation-161\">While there are strict legal limits on how much an individual <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"15\" data-index-in-node=\"62\"><span class=\"citation-161\">candidate<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-161\"> can spend on an election, there is currently <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"15\" data-index-in-node=\"117\"><span class=\"citation-161\">no cap on how much a political party<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-161 citation-end-161\"> can spend. This creates a massive loophole where parties can spend hundreds of crores on high-tech rallies, digital ads, and private jets, technically staying within the &#8220;spirit&#8221; of the MCC while vastly outspending smaller rivals.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\">Read More- <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/electoral-reforms-in-india-explained-pointwise\/#toc3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Electoral Reforms in India<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"toc5\"><\/a>What Should be the Way Forward?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Establishment of fast track tribunals:<\/strong> Establishing special election tribunals to resolve MCC cases within 6 months would ensure that the punishment actually happens while the election impact is still fresh.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Explore the option of providing statutory backing to MCC: <\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> recommendation of standing committee on electoral reforms of providing statutory backing to MCC<\/span> must be considered and explored.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"citation-219\">Instead of making the entire MCC a law (which could lead to long judicial delays), the <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"4,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"110\"><span class=\"citation-219\">Law Commission<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-219\"> has suggested making specific, grave violations &#8211; like &#8220;Paid News,&#8221; surrogate advertising, and communal hate speech &#8211; explicitly punishable as <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"4,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"264\"><span class=\"citation-219\">&#8220;Corrupt Practices&#8221;<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-219 citation-end-219\"> under the Representation of the People Act (RPA).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Changes in MCC to counter the misuse of new technologies:<\/strong> Changes in MCC must be brought and the capacity of ECI must be increased to deal with the misuse of social media like <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Whatsapp and Facebook which are used to influence opinions on the day of election<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rationalizing MCC Application: <\/strong>To prevent disruption of development works and administrative processes &#8211; Create &#8220;essential services&#8221; exemption list; phase-wise withdrawal of MCC after polling.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Neutrality on part of ECI:<\/strong>\u00a0ECI must be neutral in application of MCC across all the parties and candidates.<\/li>\n<li><b data-path-to-node=\"4,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Deregistration Power:<\/b><span class=\"citation-218\"> Currently, the ECI can register a party but lacks the clear power to <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"4,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"91\"><span class=\"citation-218\">deregister<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-218 citation-end-218\"> one.<\/span> <span class=\"citation-217 citation-end-217\">A proposed reform is to empower the ECI to suspend or deregister parties for repeated, systemic violations of the MCC.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"citation-213 citation-end-213\"><strong>Amending the &#8220;Silence Period&#8221;<\/strong>: The 48-hour campaign silence period before polling (Section 126 of RP Act) is virtually ineffective online. The law must be explicitly amended to cover the internet, social media, and OTT platforms to prevent last-minute misinformation campaigns.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b data-path-to-node=\"7,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><strong>Mandatory AI Watermarking<\/strong>:<\/b><span class=\"citation-214 citation-end-214\"> All political parties must be mandated to use &#8220;digital signatures&#8221; or watermarks on their official content, making it easier to track &#8220;dark ads&#8221; or fake videos back to their source.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Capping Party Expenditure<\/strong>: A statutory cap on party-level expenditure is considered essential to maintain a &#8220;level playing field&#8221; and prevent the MCC from being overwhelmed by massive corporate-funded campaigns.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\">Read More: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eci.gov.in\/mcc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ECI<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/did-the-prime-ministers-broadcast-violate-mcc-explained\/article70938623.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hindu<\/a><br \/>\nSyllabus: GS 2- Electoral reforms and issues related to RPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accused of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) when his address was broadcast live on national television. In his speech, he named opposition parties and urged women voters to punish them for defeating the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha. The broadcast raises important questions under&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/model-code-of-conduct-explained-pointwise\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Model Code of Conduct &#8211; Explained Pointwise<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10391,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[130],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-362188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7-pm","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10391"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=362188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362188\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=362188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=362188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=362188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}