Examine the role and functioning of the Election Commission of India and the Comptroller and Auditor General in the last two decades. (UPSC CSE Mains 2020 - Political Science and International Relations, Paper 1)
Election Commission
Elections are vital for the well-being of India’s democracy, especially given the relative weakness of what are meant to be ‘non-electoral’ checks and democratic forums. An incremental rise in the level of electoral participation and contestation has helped Indian democracy become far more representative. The ECI is a highly trusted institution entrusted with the task of ‘superintendence, direction and control of elections’ under Article 324 of the Indian constitution.
- The last two decades, in particular, have posed new challenges with the massification of electoral democracy. Significantly, this period also witnessed the ECI in ‘an activist’ phase as Indian politics underwent a process of transition and uncertainty.
- Short-lived coalition governments tumbled one after another, anti-incumbency became the buzzword in election studies and new claimants to political power violated established democratic norms of electoral conduct with impunity. The reckless use of empty populism, sectarian or divisive ethnic politics, political violence and money power posed a great threat to the well-being of democracy even as it ‘widened and deepened’ with the surge in participation of the socially and economically marginal, including women and minorities.
Comptroller and Auditor General
Comptroller and Auditor General of India is an independent authority under Article 148 of the Constitution of India. He is the Head of Indian Audit and Accounts. He is the guardian of the public purse and supervises the whole financial system of the country at both the Central and state levels. The CAG is one of the bulwarks of the democratic system of Government in India with the others being the Supreme Court, the Election Commission, and the Union Public Service Commission.
- The CAG had changed rapidly by adopting modern procedures and it was now using advanced analytics tools, geo-spatial data and satellite imagery.
- CAG studies on the current government initiatives could become a source of knowledge and inspiration for future generations.
- The CAG not just kept track of the nation''s accounts, but also did value addition in productivity and efficiency.
- The CAG has also started assisting urban local bodies in providing technical guidance and support.
- It has developed a ‘Practice Guide’ for this purpose consisting of best practices.
- Despite the pandemic, in 2020-21, the CAG submitted 123 audit reports, of which 67 were performance audits.
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