Parliament passes Bill on CEC, ECs’ appointment
New Delhi, December 21
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023. The Rajya Sabha had already passed it.
Telecommunications Bill gets approval too
- The Telecommunications Bill, 2023, got the seal of of approval of Parliament with the Rajya Sabha on Thursday clearing the Bill by voice vote even as Opposition members kept away from the House
- The Bill will pave the way for bringing in a range of structural changes to current regulatory mechanisms in the telecom sector
The Bill aims to establish procedures for the appointment of the three members of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The poll body consists of a Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two Election Commissioners (ECs).
The legislation had however generated a lot of controversy as it contradicts the Supreme Court’s direction that the ECs should be selected by a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India (CJI). The new Bill however has dropped the CJI from the selection committee.
One of the most important amendments in the legislation is the clause that safeguards CECs and ECs from legal proceedings related to actions taken during their tenure, provided that such actions were carried out in the discharge of official duties.
