Consider the following statements regarding State Election Commission, Rajasthan - (i) The State Election Commission, Rajasthan was constituted in December, 1994. (ii) It has a Secretary who is also the Chief Electoral Officer for the state. Code :

Correct — option (2), Only (ii) is correct.

Statement (i) gives the wrong month. The State Election Commission's About Us page, as captured by the Wayback Machine on 21 October 2021, says: "The State Election Commission (SEC), Rajasthan was constituted in July 1994 under Article 243K of the Constitution of India."

The Commissioner's Desk page on the same site, in a 2021 capture, agrees: the Commission "was created in July, 1994." December 1994 matches neither.

Statement (ii) matches the About Us page, which says: "It has a Secretary who is also the Chief Electoral Officer for the State." The page also calls the SEC "a single member Commission headed by the State Election Commissioner."

With (i) incorrect and (ii) correct, the code is option (2), Only (ii) is correct.

The idea to remember: July 1994, Article 243K, one State Election Commissioner, and a Secretary who is also the State's Chief Electoral Officer.

Why the others are wrong

• (1)
  Only (i) is correct — This code keeps statement (i) and drops (ii), the reverse of what the Commission's website says. Its About Us page gives July 1994, not December, as the month the Commission was constituted.

  The same page says the Commission "has a Secretary who is also the Chief Electoral Officer for the State", which is statement (ii).

• (3)
  Both (i) and (ii) are correct — Statement (ii) holds, but (i) does not. The Commission's About Us page says it was constituted in July 1994 under Article 243K, and its Commissioner's Desk page says the institution was created in July, 1994.

  A statement placing the constitution in December 1994 changes the month, so accepting both statements accepts a wrong date.

• (4)
  Neither (i) nor (ii) is correct — This code rejects statement (ii), which the Commission's own website supports: "It has a Secretary who is also the Chief Electoral Officer for the State."

  Only statement (i) conflicts with the website, which gives July 1994 for the Commission's constitution. One correct statement rules out this code.

Part IX of the Constitution, on Panchayats, creates the State Election Commission in Article 243K. Clause (1) vests the superintendence, direction and control of electoral rolls and of all Panchayat elections in "a State Election Commission consisting of a State Election Commissioner to be appointed by the Governor."

Article 243ZA gives the same Commission the elections to Municipalities. Under the proviso to Article 243K(2), the State Election Commissioner can be removed only in like manner and on like grounds as a Judge of a High Court.

The Election Commission of India under Article 324 is a separate body, which superintends elections to Parliament, the State Legislatures and the offices of President and Vice-President.

Key facts

• SEC website (Wayback capture, 21 October 2021): the State Election Commission, Rajasthan was constituted in July 1994 under Article 243K.
• The same page: the SEC is a single member Commission; its Secretary is also the Chief Electoral Officer for the State.
• Article 243K(1): the State Election Commission consists of a State Election Commissioner appointed by the Governor.
• Article 243ZA(1): elections to the Municipalities are also vested in the State Election Commission.
• SEC website, October 2021: the SEC has conducted Panchayati Raj general elections since 1995; the 11th, in 21 districts, was held in September–October 2020.

Common traps

• Changing only the month: the Commission's website gives July 1994, and statement (i) replaces it with December 1994.
• Assuming a Chief Electoral Officer serves only the Election Commission of India: the SEC's own page says its Secretary is also the Chief Electoral Officer for the State.
• Confusing the two election bodies: the SEC under Article 243K handles Panchayat and municipal elections; the Election Commission under Article 324 handles elections to Parliament, the State Legislatures and the offices of President and Vice-President.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The State Election Commission of Rajasthan was constituted under which Article of the Constitution of India?

  • (a)Article 243K
  • (b)Article 243ZA
  • (c)Article 324
  • (d)Article 243I
  Answer(1) — The Commission's website says it was constituted in July 1994 under Article 243K. Option (2), Article 243ZA, gives the same Commission municipal elections but does not create it. Option (3) creates the Election Commission of India. Option (4), Article 243I, provides for the State Finance Commission.
• practice — not a real PYQ

  Under Article 243K(2) of the Constitution of India, the State Election Commissioner shall not be removed from office except in like manner and on the like grounds as

  • (a)the Governor of a State
  • (b)a Judge of a High Court
  • (c)a member of a State Public Service Commission
  • (d)the Chief Secretary of a State
  Answer(2) — The proviso to Article 243K(2) ties removal to the manner and grounds for a Judge of a High Court. Options (1), (3) and (4) are offices with their own, different rules of tenure or removal.