EC to set up chair in Seshan's memory at poll-study institute1

CEC Sh Sunil Arora announced that EC to establish a visiting chair on an interdisciplinary approach to electoral studies in IIIDEM to commemorate former CEC Sh T N Seshan. He said that the Chair becomes fully functional in next year and it will be mentored by Sh N Gopalaswami Former CEC.

New Delhi:Chief Election Commissioner Sh Sunil Arora announced that the Election Commission (EC) of India has decided to establish and fund a Visiting chair on Interdisciplinary Approach to Electoral Studies in the Centre for Curriculum Development at India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management( IIIDEM ) to commemorate and celebrate former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Sh T N Seshan's special connect with the youths.

While delivering the Keynote address at the Institute of Law in the NIRMA University in Ahmedabad on Saturday, Arora had announced this by adding that the Chair will be mentored by Sh N Gopalaswami Former CEC.

Meanwhile, President of NIRMA University, Dr. Karsanbhai K Patel, Sh. Umesh Sinha Secretary-General ECI, Vice Chancellor-Dr. Anup Singh, Dr. Purvi Pokhariyal, Director, Institute of Law, faculty, and students were present on the occasion.

Sh Arora had been invited by the University on the occasion of Law Conclave organized in memory of the legendary Constitutional expert, economist and jurist par excellence Shri Nani Palkhiwala.

By addressing the students, Sh Arora said, “Sh T N Seshan’s enduring contribution to the cause of probity, transparency, and integrity in various aspects of the electoral process in India has made his name synonymous with electoral best practices worldwide. In his memory thus the ECI would establish the Chair. It will be our endeavor to ensure that the Chair becomes fully functional during the next academic session August- September 2020.”

He further said that the detailed modalities of the establishment of the Chair shall be worked out by Sh. Umesh Sinha, Secretary-General, Sh. Dharmendra Sharma, DG IIIDEM and Mona Sreenivas, Director ECI and will be presented to the Commission by March 15, 2020.

The Visiting Chair programme will be targeted to young academics with a proven track record in fields relatable to electoral studies.

The Chair will also be expected to curate one National Level Seminar on specific aspects of Electoral Studies. The Visiting Chair will also supervise designing and development of interdisciplinary curriculum/ modules for further training and research at the IIIDEM, he added.

Delivering his lecture on "Electoral law - its evolution and practice in India", he said “Coincidentally, the 70th Anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India on 26th November 1950 is near. Therefore, this is an opportunity for all of us to deliberate upon the path ahead”.

“Our Constitution is a living document. In many ways, it is also an evolving document that has endured the test of times. From its very inception, the Constitution has spelled, for each and every Indian, a vocabulary of rights, entitlements, duties as well as the trinity of equality, freedom, and dignity which make life meaningful” Arora added.

Besides this, he said," The electoral journey of India has been remarkable in itself. Yet we cannot sit on past laurels. The Commission is committed to bringing more reforms to ensure that the process becomes more in sync with the times, the current technologies and enhanced voter participation."

He further said that recently, the concept of Absentee voters has been made part of the process. The commission hopes to have more than one qualifying date for eligibility of voters.

"We have a large number of overseas population and we need to devise a mechanism to facilitate their participation in the electoral process. We also need to work harder to curb the menace of money power, misinformation and to check the criminal elements in the arena of elections," said Arora.

He added by saying, “the roots of democracy run deep in our consciousness. So does an inherent sense of what constitutes right and wrong. Given this, I can say with conviction that the voter of this country is no longer naive, passive recipient in the play of political democracy".

He, however, said that despite the fact that voting is not compulsory, more than 67% of people come out to vote especially the women, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

“The strength lies in “We the People”. It is the collective power of the People that is invoked through the Constitution” Sh Arora emphasised.