How is the Chief Election Commissioner appointed? Know the work and responsibilities

On one hand, while the announcement of Lok Sabha elections is awaited, on the other hand Chief Election Commissioner of India Arun Goyal has resigned.

After his resignation, now most of the people's attention has gone to this post. So today we are going to tell you about the responsibilities and work of this post.

Elections are held every year in many states in India. Lok Sabha elections are also to be held in India this year. The Election Commission is making every kind of preparation for this. It is the responsibility of the Election Commission to conduct elections in the country. The Election Commission performs all the functions from appointment of election officials to polling and counting of votes.

A total of three election commissioners are elected in the Election Commission.
The Commission consists of three Election Commissioners, one of whom is the Chief Election Commissioner and two other Election Commissioners are appointed along with him. These three take all important decisions related to elections across the country.

Let us tell you that earlier there was only one Election Commissioner in the country, then their number was reduced to three. Article 324(2) of the Constitution of India empowers the President of India to change from time to time the number of Election Commissioners other than the Chief Election Commissioner.

How is the Election Commissioner appointed?
The law regarding appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner was amended on 29 December 2013. Under this, a search committee consisting of the Law Minister and two Union Secretaries will shortlist 5 names and give them to the selection committee. In these, a three-member committee comprising the Prime Minister, a Union Minister and the leader of the opposition will decide on a name. After this, after the approval of the President, the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner will be appointed.

How much salary does the Election Commissioner get?
According to the information given by the Election Commission, the Chief Election Commissioner and the remaining two Election Commissioners are given the same salary as the judges of the Supreme Court. Apart from this, the allowances they receive are also similar to the allowances received by the judges of the Supreme Court.

Let us tell you that a judge of the Supreme Court gets a salary of about Rs 2.5 lakh. The Chief Election Commissioner and the remaining two Election Commissioners are appointed by the President for a term of 6 years. However, his tenure can be extended. The retirement age of the Chief Election Commissioner is 65 years and the retirement age of the remaining two Election Commissioners is 62 years.

Responsibilities of Election Commissioner

• The main function of the Election Commissioner is to conduct the election process. The Election Commissioner plans the election process, fixes the dates of the election period, selects polling stations, selects election observers and issues election notifications.
• It is the responsibility of the Election Commissioner to monitor the electoral activities and ensure that the rules and regulations are followed at every stage.
• The Election Commissioner is also responsible for redressal of electoral disputes and complaints. It usually takes action against election violations under the election code of conduct.
• The Election Commissioner is also entrusted with the responsibility of making voters aware about their voting rights and duties. Therefore, the Election Commissioner in India runs programs and awareness campaigns to educate the voters.
• The Election Commissioner is also responsible for ensuring that the election code of conduct is followed. The Code lays down the rules to be followed during the election process and ensures the safety and rights of voters.