Question

The Chief Election Commissioner of India holds office for a period of:
1. Six years
2. During the pleasure of the President
3. For six years or till he attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier
4. For five years or till the age of 60 years, whichever is earlier

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 3 : For six years or till he attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier

The correct answer is For six years or till he attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

• Chief Election Commissioner​
  • The Chief Election Commissioner is appointed by the President of India and the power, salary, allowances, etc. of the Chief Election Commissioner are equal to that of a Supreme Court Judge.
  • He is the head of the Election Commission and holds the office for six years or till he attains the age of 65 years whichever is earlier.
  • He can be reappointed at any time or can also be removed before the expiry of the term.
  • Removing the Chief Election Commissioner is a tedious task as he provided with the security of tenure. It requires two-thirds of the members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to be present and vote against him for disorderly conduct or improper actions.
  • Sukumar Sen was the first Chief Election Commissioner and currently, Sushil Chandra is holding the position.

• Election Commission
  • The commission was established on 25th January 1950.
  • It is an all-India, permanent, and independent body established by the Constitution of India directly to ensure free and fair elections in the country (Article 324).
  • However, it is not the concerning body for the elections to panchayats and municipalities in the states, as this charge is given to the State Election Commission.
  • The Election Commission has a Chief Election Commissioner and two other Election Commissioners appointed by the President of India. The President may also appoint regional commissioners to assist the election commission.
  • The powers and functions of the Election Commission can be classified into the following three categories:
    • Administrative
    • Advisory
    • Quasi-Judicial