The document proposes several electoral reforms in India to address issues like lack of youth involvement in politics, dissatisfaction with elected representatives, and criminalization of politics. It suggests establishing a preparatory stage with leadership training programs in schools and colleges and a mandatory preliminary test for candidates. In the pre-election stage, it recommends stricter checks on candidates' backgrounds and greater transparency in funding. For the election process, it proposes using direct recording electronic voting machines integrated with Aadhaar and implementing a "right to reject" to enable re-elections if voter turnout rejects all candidates. The reforms aim to increase transparency, engage youth, reduce criminality and fraud, and give voters more choice. However, challenges around political will

1. Election Reforms
In India
POWER IS ACTION; THE ELECTORAL PRINCIPLE IS DISCUSSION. NO
POLITICAL ACTION IS POSSIBLE WHEN DISCUSSION IS PERMANENTLY
ESTABLISHED.
Team Details:-
Alekh Bansal
Anish Aggarwal
Ayush Srivastava
Nikhil Kaira
Piyush Mishra
BIT Mesra

2. Scope:-
• Disconnection of the youth from the established political process.
• Prevailing dissatisfaction regarding the work being done by our elected
political representatives.
• Lack of credibility of a majority of the candidates who stand in the elections.
Causes:-
• Inherent negative mindset about politics and non involvement of youth.
Hypothesis: Minimal involvement of nation’s most talented people in the politics
of the country.
• No parameters to check the legislative and executive prowess of a candidate.
Hypothesis: Increase in nominations of non serious and proxy candidates.
• Criminalization of politics – abuse of money and power.
Hypothesis: a feeling of fear among the educated class to take up politics as a
profession.
• Lack of transparency in electoral funding and expenditures and electoral
fraud.
Hypothesis : Large amounts of illegal money flow into the election procedure.
• No provision for re-election in case of dissatisfaction among the voters
related to candidates.
Hypothesis: The choice of candidates is in the hands of the party and not the
voters.
Percentage of MP’s facing Criminal charges
In the 15th Lok-sabha, India has more than 14% MP’s with Serious criminal Charges

3. Preparatory Stage
•Schools and colleges to be
extensively involved in Leadership
Grooming, Youth Parliament and
Panel Discussion with Politicians.
Colleges to have modules on policy
making. Appeal to Patriotism.
•A preliminary test to be conducted
by Central Government, every 6
months- a prerequisite for
contesting the elections at any
level.
•Politicians to retire from active
politics at an age of 75
years(advisory step).
Pre-Election Stage
•Need to get the signature of at least
0.05% voters of the constituency.
•Online asset declaration every six
months, RTI compulsory for all
political parties.
•After filing for candidature, criminal
background of every candidate to
be checked. If accused with any
heinous crime, a special
investigation unit from CBCID will
investigate the crime. If within 15
days ,any evidence comes to light,
candidature to be cancelled.
•“Donation under 20k INR, source
not to be revealed” rule to be
abolished. The limit of donation
from a particular person to be set
at 10,000 INR.
Election Process
•Implementation of Direct Recording
Electronic Voting Machine(DRE) in
high risk areas, the cross-check
evaluation to be combined with
data from Aadhar card and
NPR(National Population Register).
•Right to Reject will be
implemented. If 2/3rd of the Voter
Turnout gives neutral votes, Re-
election in the constituency with a
new set of candidates.
•Public Opinion Forum shall be
established, to encourage
expression of public sentiment . The
forum will be neutral to all parties,
but free to debate upon the issues
and policies being formulated by
our ministers.
Solution to the proposed Problem

4. Preparatory Stage Pre-Election Stage Election Process
• Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs will
co-ordinate with NGOs in order to
implement the Youth Parliament and
panel discussion schemes in
schools/colleges.
• 50 colleges and 50 schools will be
selected demographically. These will
act as centers where YP, and other
political awareness sessions will be
organized.
• Graduate courses across the country
will have a optional paper / module
on policy making.
• Election commission of India to set up
100 test centers across the country
according to the population
distribution and commission an
examination team of 5 experts from
fields of administration, legislature
and judiciary per test center.
• Verifying the declared Asset property
of a candidate or Member by the
Income Tax Department on a
bi- annual basis.
• Candidature only to those who can
get the sign of 0.05% population of
the constituency.
• Increasing the CBCID staff and
making special units for investigating
the cases of heinous crimes(crimes
against humanity) by the candidates.
Priority will be given to Candidates of
General Elections, 2014.
• Parties will have to provide the
details of every donation made along
with the name of the person,
transaction id number and mode of
donation. These details will be
provided to the Income Tax
Department and Election
• Identification of High risk areas,
implementing the Aadhar Card
policy in those areas.
• Purchasing DRE technology from
countries like Brazil.
• Amendment to rule 49-O, of
conduct of election rule, 1961 in
which the right to no vote will be
modified to “Right to Reject”.
• Election Commission of India will
invite social activists, people from
administrative, judicial services and
renowned economists,
environmentalists etc. This team of
20- 25 people will in turn form a
Public Opinion Forum(POF), which
will express the public sentiments
on various issues regarding a bill ,
policy and all matters of national
importance.

5. Election
Commission of
India,
Government of
India
Ministry of
Parliamentary
Affairs,
Schools/Colleges ,
NGO's
Income Tax
Department, CB-
CID, State and Local
Police
State and Local
Police, National
Population
Register(NPR), UID
Authority of
India(UIDAI)
Preparatory Stage
Pre-Election Stage
Election Process
Central Management System
Salient Features:-
 Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and NGOs
will conduct various leadership and youth
involvement programs at schools/colleges.
 Income Tax Department will audit the assets
of the Candidates. CB-CID, State and local
police will investigate the accused Candidates.
 State and local police will ensure free and fair
elections. Aadhar will be Implemented in
DRE(Direct Recording Electronic ) Voting
machine with the help of NPR and UIDAI.
 The various agencies of Election process will
be directly answerable to Central
Management System.
STAKEHOLDERS at each stage

6. Preparatory Stage
Staff required in leadership
programs=1000
Staff required for
preliminary test= 8000
(3000 invigilators, 5000
stenographers)
Pre-Election Stage
CBCID Staff required
=300/per state.
Election Process
Technical Staff required for
DRE implementation=1000
Polymath’s required for
public opinion forum(POF)
= 20 to 25
We will Require a workforce of 19025 people at the State and National level.

7. Total funding
required= 422.7
crore* INR.
Estimate for
leadership
programs and
aptitude test= 1.2
crore INR.
Funding for POF and
DRE Cost = 241.5
crore per annum.
Estimate for
eliminating
Criminality in
Indian Politics=
180 crore per
annum.
Funding required for Leaderships sessions=
Rs.20 lakh/ 100 colleges.
Estimate for Aptitude Cost= Rs. 1 crore.
Accounting Rs.60 per voter(5 % in high
population areas) ,
cost = Rs. 240 crore (4 crores *60 )
POF funding = RS. 1.5 crore
Cost of Staffing CB-CID=
6 crore INR per state
per annum.
Total Cost= 180 crore.
This Model will require an estimated financial Expenditure of 422.7 crore INR.
*All the data are based on
Assumptions and all the
monetary units are in INR.

8. Central
Government
Donations/
Sponsorships from
Local Bodies for
Leadership
Programs.
Fee for Aptitude
Test= 200 INR per
candidate
Donations for Public
Opinion Forum
State Government
for CB-CID staffing.
10,000 INR per
candidate for
contesting Elections.
Leveraging of Existing Infrastructure:-
 Use of Government Organization and universities
like Kendriya Vidyalaya, JNV, IIT’s for leadership
programs and their use as centers for aptitude Test.
 Income Tax department on national level and CB-
CID on state level to act as instruments for
eliminating criminalization in politics.
 Use of New system of Aadhar Card and RTI to
reduce the existing electoral malpractices.
This Model Proposes following sources to meet the estimated Expenditure.

9. • POF aims to reach millions of
people through broadcasting
media.
• The party neutral forum will
provide a platform for
expressing public sentiments.
• The 0.05% signature campaign
will ensure exit of non serious
candidates.
• Electoral fraud will be
completely eradicated
from the high risk
regions (5% of total
constituencies).
• The indigenous DRE
machines will be put
to use in the next
general elections on a
wider scale.
• Reduction of the 15%
candidates accused of
serious crimes.
• If a candidature is
cancelled due to
criminal case, parties
will be compelled to
give candidature to
people with clean
record only.
• The source of
unknown funding,
which accounts to
85% of total funds
would be public.
• The limit of individual
donation at 10000
INR will force the
politicians to reach
out to a wider base.
• Since 50% of India’s
population is below
25yrs of age,
leadership programs
will be a huge boost
for them.
• At college level , 3
million graduates will
participate in policy
formation.
Awareness of general
public
Election Malpractices
Candidate Expenditure
Criminality
Youth Involvement
Impact of the proposed solution

10. Challenges
Mitigation
• Political – Since the reforms require
parliamentary approval, corrupt politicians
have a strong incentive to prevent them.
• Social – The rule which requires 0.05 %
signatures for filing of candidature might
cause bad blood among the voters and the
candidates. The preliminary test as well as
the electoral reform society may face
protests from the parties in power.
• Legal – The rule 49-O, Conduct of Election
Rules, 1961, provides the citizens the Right
to No Vote. It recognizes the right of a
citizen to register his disapproval for all the
candidates participating in the elections.
The introduction of right to reject might
cause an array of re-elections in highly
unstable states.
• Technical – The DRE technology is not
available in India. Direct linkage of Aadhar
card with DRE machines in at least ‘high risk’
areas has to be established.
• Economics– The total amount of funds
required for the reforms is approx. 422
crore.
• We have to entrust our elected representatives
to pass the valuable legislation upon themselves.
ERS once functional, can be used to mount
political pressure to pass such reforms.
• The local police has to ensure the safety and
security of all the citizens during election time.
Acts of violence or pressure formation should be
dealt with strictness during election procedures.
• In constitution, another rule 49-1 has to be
introduced to add the “right to reject”. In cases
where majority of the population disapproves
the candidates, fresh elections should be
conducted. The re-election condition will only
arise in case of extreme dissatisfaction among
the voters which is evident by the proposed 2/3
majority right to reject rule.
• The DRE technology machines have to be
purchased from Venezuela. Issue of Aadhar cards
for registered voters in high risk areas should be
given priority.
• Funds should be allotted from various sources
like sponsorships, candidature fees, test fees,
state government and central government
allowances.

11. Annexures and References:
• ANALYSIS OF CRIMINAL AND FINANCIAL DETAILS OF MPs OF 15th LOK SABHA (2009)-A Report by NATIONAL
ELECTION WATC H & ASSOCIATION FOR DEMOCRATIC REFORMS.
• BACKGROUND PAPER ON ELECTORAL REFORMS-LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT, MINISTRY OF LAW AND
JUSTICE, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ,CO-SPONSORE D BY THE ELECTION CO M MISSION OF INDIA, December,
2010.
• THE CONDUCT FOR ELECTION RULE , 1961.
• THE ELECTORAL REFORM SOCIETY, UK. - www.electoral-reform.org.uk/.
• THE DIRECT RECORDING ELECTRO NIC VOTING MAC HINE(DRE)CONTROVERSY : FAQS
AND MISPERCEPTIONS.