Examine the need for electoral reforms as suggested by various committees with particular reference to “one nation – one election” principle.
Approach · directive: “examine”
What it asks · Examine why electoral reforms recommended by successive committees are needed, with a focused look at the case for and against simultaneous elections.
It asks 2 things — answer each
- Examine: why electoral reforms recommended by various committees are needed
- With particular reference to 'one nation – one election': the case for it, the concerns, and what it would require
Open with · Lok Sabha and Assembly elections were held together from 1951 to 1967 until premature dissolutions broke the cycle; committees since have sought to reform how, not just when, India votes.
Cover
- Committee agenda: Dinesh Goswami (1990) and Indrajit Gupta (1998) on state funding; Law Commission's 170th Report (1999) and the 2nd ARC on cleaner politics.
- Persistent needs: money power, criminalisation, paid news, opaque party funding, weak inner-party democracy; frequent Model Code of Conduct freezes.
- Timeline: simultaneous polls 1951–67; Law Commission 170th Report (1999); Standing Committee 79th Report (2015); Kovind committee (2024).
- Kovind plan: Lok Sabha and Assembly polls together, local bodies within 100 days, single electoral roll; Cabinet accepted it in September 2024.
- Gains: lower cost, fewer policy pauses, less diversion of security forces and staff, a longer governance horizon.
- Concerns: national issues may drown State issues; one-time curtailment of Assembly terms; fresh polls only for the unexpired term.
- Requirements: amendments to Articles 83 and 172, ratification by half the States for the single roll, EVMs and VVPATs, consensus.
Close with · Synchronised polls fix the calendar; only cleaner money and candidates fix the contest. Together they serve SDG 16.7: responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making.
Add value (verified)
- PIB (18 September 2024): the Cabinet accepted the Kovind committee's plan — Lok Sabha and assembly polls together first, then local-body polls within 100 days, on a common electoral roll.Cabinet accepts recommendations of High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections — PIB, 18 September 2024 ↗“In second phase: Conduct local body elections (panchayat and municipalities) within 100 days of general elections.”
- PIB backgrounder (March 2024): if a House is hung or falls to a no-confidence motion, the committee wants fresh elections only for the unexpired term.High Level Committee (HLC) on Simultaneous Elections — PIB backgrounder, March 2024 ↗“In the event of a hung House, no-confidence motion, or any such event, fresh elections should be held to constitute the new House of the People or State Legislative Assembly for the “unexpired term””
- PIB (18 September 2024): simultaneous elections were held from 1951 to 1967; the Law Commission's 170th Report (1999) and the Parliamentary Committee's 79th Report (2015) both backed them.Cabinet accepts recommendations of High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections — PIB, 18 September 2024 ↗“Elections have been held simultaneously between 1951 and 1967. Law Commission: 170th report (1999): One election to Lok Sabha and all Legislative Assemblies in five years. Parliamentary Committee 79th Report (2015): suggest methods for simultaneous elections in two phases.”
- Kovind committee: a single electoral roll and EPIC for all three tiers needs constitutional amendments ratified by at least one-half of the States.High Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections: summary of recommendations — PIB backgrounder, March 2024 ↗“amendments in the Constitution of India are recommended to enable Election Commission of India to prepare a single electoral roll and EPIC in consultation with the State Election Commissions. These amendments will require ratification by not less than one-half of the States.”
- SDG target 16.7: responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.Goal 16 targets — United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (sdgs.un.org) ↗“16.7 Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2024, GS Paper II — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 223words · Minimalist IAS
Lok Sabha and Assembly elections were held together from 1951 to 1967, until premature dissolutions broke the cycle. Committees since have sought to reform how, not just when, India votes.
Why committees urged reform
- Money power: the Dinesh Goswami (1990) and Indrajit Gupta (1998) committees backed state funding of elections.
- Criminalisation: the Law Commission's 170th Report (1999) and the 2nd ARC sought cleaner politics; paid news persists.
- Permanent campaign: frequent polls keep the Model Code of Conduct in force, pausing new projects and diverting security forces.
The case for 'one nation – one election'
- 1951–67: simultaneous polls
- 1999: Law Commission
- 2015: Standing Committee
- 2024: Kovind committee
- Kovind committee (2024): Lok Sabha and Assembly polls first, local-body polls within 100 days, one single electoral roll; Cabinet-accepted in September 2024.
- Gains: lower cost, fewer pauses, a longer governance horizon.
Concerns and requirements
- Federal balance: national issues may drown State issues; some Assembly terms must be cut once.
- Mid-term collapse: fresh polls only for the unexpired term mean short mandates.
- Amendments: Articles 83 and 172; the single roll needs ratification by half the States; more EVMs and VVPATs.
Way forward
- Consensus first: synchronise by cross-party agreement, alongside pending funding and criminalisation reforms.
Synchronised polls fix the calendar; only cleaner money and candidates fix the contest. Together they serve SDG 16.7: responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
