SSC
The Election Commission of India was established on:
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Answer: Option B — 25 January 1950
Detailed Solution
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a permanent and independent constitutional body that conducts elections in India. It was set up on 25 January 1950, one day before the Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950. Since 2011, 25 January has been celebrated every year as National Voters' Day, to encourage more people, especially young voters, to register and vote.
The Election Commission is provided for in Part XV of the Constitution, Article 324. It is responsible for the superintendence, direction and control of elections to:
Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha).
State Legislative Assemblies and Councils.
The offices of the President and the Vice-President of India.
Elections to panchayats and municipalities are conducted by separate State Election Commissions (Articles 243K and 243ZA).
Originally, the Commission had only one member, the Chief Election Commissioner. Sukumar Sen was the first Chief Election Commissioner and conducted the first general elections in 1951-52. Since 1993, the Commission has been a three-member body, with a Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners, who have equal powers. Decisions are made by majority.
Under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, they are appointed by the President on the recommendation of a selection committee made up of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister. They hold office for six years or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier. The Chief Election Commissioner can be removed only in the same manner as a judge of the Supreme Court.
The Commission also enforces the Model Code of Conduct, registers political parties and allots election symbols.
Why not the other options?
- ✗26 January 1950 is when the Constitution came into force.
- ✗15 August 1947 is Independence Day.
- ✗26 November 1949 is when the Constitution was adopted (Constitution Day).
Quick tip
Remember: Election Commission = Article 324, set up 25 January 1950 (National Voters' Day since 2011); first CEC Sukumar Sen; three-member body since 1993.
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Constitutional & Statutory Bodies — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Constitutional & Statutory Bodies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers bodies set up under the Constitution, such as the Election Commission, UPSC, Finance Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General and the national commissions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and statutory or executive bodies such as NITI Aayog, the NHRC, the CVC, the CBI and Lokpal. Questions often ask whether a body is constitutional or not, which article creates it, who appoints its head and for how long. For example, the CAG is appointed under Article 148, the Finance Commission under Article 280, and NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission in 2015 by an executive resolution. Practise the constitutional and statutory bodies questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.