One Nation, One Election, Step-by-Step Process Explained | UPSC | StudyIQ IAS

StudyIQ IAS

18 Sept 202417:35

Summary

TLDRThe script discusses India's significant political reform of 'One Nation, One Election', which aims to synchronize all state and national elections. It highlights the potential benefits such as reduced governance disruption and economic growth due to policy stability. However, critics argue it could overshadow regional issues and favor incumbent parties. The implementation involves constitutional amendments and requires state consensus, presenting both opportunities and challenges.

Takeaways

😀 The Indian government has approved the implementation of 'One Nation, One Election', a significant change that has been discussed for a long time.
🏛️ A committee under the former President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, recommended that 'One Nation, One Election' should be implemented, which has now been accepted by the Cabinet.
🗣️ Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also supported the idea of 'One Nation, One Election', which aims to align state and national elections.
📅 The plan is to conduct all state assembly elections and the Lok Sabha election simultaneously every five years, reducing the frequent election cycles.
🔄 An Implementation Group will be formed by the government to ensure that the recommendations of the Kovind panel are correctly implemented.
🏆 The 'One Nation, One Election' concept aims to reduce the impact of election seasons on governance and policy-making, keeping the focus consistent.
💡 The idea is also supported by many political parties, including a large number who believe it will bring stability and continuity to governance.
📉 The proposal could potentially reduce the economic burden of frequent elections on the Election Commission of India and political parties.
🤔 Critics argue that the simultaneous elections could overshadow local issues and favor national parties over regional ones, potentially reducing the importance of state governments.
📚 The implementation of 'One Nation, One Election' would require significant constitutional amendments, including changes that might need the consent of state governments.

Q & A

What is the main change being discussed in the Indian political landscape?
-The main change being discussed is the implementation of 'One Nation One Election', which aims to hold all elections in India at the same time.
Who was the committee formed under to discuss the 'One Nation One Election' concept?
-The committee was formed under the leadership of former President Ram Nath Kovind, which included several discussions and meetings to finalize the report.
What is the proposed timeline for implementing 'One Nation One Election'?
-The implementation is proposed to be done in two phases. The first phase involves combining the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, and the second phase involves merging local body elections within 100 days of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
How would the electoral rolls be managed under 'One Nation One Election'?
-There would be a common electoral roll for all elections, which means the separate electoral rolls for Lok Sabha, State Assembly, and local body elections would be merged.
What are the potential benefits of 'One Nation One Election' as discussed in the script?
-Potential benefits include better governance focus, economic growth due to policy stability, reduced expenditure on elections, and increased voter turnout due to less frequent elections.
What are the concerns raised by opposition parties regarding 'One Nation One Election'?
-Opposition parties argue that it is impractical and against the federal structure of the country, as it may lead to overlooking regional issues in favor of national issues.
How many constitutional amendments are required to implement 'One Nation One Election'?
-Approximately 18 constitutional amendments are required to implement this concept.
What is the role of the Implementation Group mentioned in the script?
-The Implementation Group is responsible for taking forward the recommendations made by the Kovind Committee in the right direction and ensuring they are implemented correctly.
How would the term of government change if 'One Nation One Election' is implemented?
-The term of governments would be shortened to align with the general election term. For example, if a state government is elected in 2025, its term would end in 2029 along with the Lok Sabha term.
What is the Kovind Panel's recommendation regarding the appointment date for the Parliament?
-The Kovind Panel recommends that the Parliament should declare an appointed date, and any elections held after that date should be merged with the 2019 elections.
What are the potential disadvantages of 'One Nation One Election' as mentioned in the script?
-Potential disadvantages include the overshadowing of regional issues, the possibility of increased political instability, and the loss of the federal structure's essence.

Outlines

00:00

🇮🇳 Introduction to One Nation One Election

The script discusses a significant change in India's history with the concept of 'One Nation One Election', which has been approved by the government. It mentions that this idea has been long discussed and is now being implemented. The video will delve into the details of how this will be possible, addressing concerns about what would happen if a government loses its majority and how amendments might be affected. It also promotes a batch for UPSC preparation and mentions a cash reward for top rankers in a weekly test.

05:01

📅 The Implementation Plan for One Nation One Election

This section outlines the implementation plan for 'One Nation One Election'. It explains that elections will be conducted in two phases. The first phase involves combining the upcoming state assembly elections with the Lok Sabha elections. The second phase will integrate local body elections within 100 days of the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections. The script also discusses the concept of a common electoral roll, which will combine the separate rolls for different elections into one.

10:03

🏛️ Constitutional Amendments Required for One Nation One Election

The script describes the constitutional amendments needed to implement 'One Nation One Election'. It mentions that the panel led by former President Ram Nath Kovind has recommended about 18 amendments. Two major amendment bills will be introduced: one focusing on the process of elections and another aiming to give the central government power over local body elections, which are currently under state government jurisdiction. The script also explains the process of how constitutional amendments are passed and the implications of these changes.

15:05

🌐 Political Reactions and Considerations of One Nation One Election

This part of the script discusses the political reactions to the 'One Nation One Election' proposal. While some parties support the idea, others, including the Congress party, oppose it, arguing that it is impractical and against the constitution. The script also explores the potential advantages and disadvantages of the proposal, such as improved governance focus, economic growth due to policy stability, reduced election-related migration, and potential issues with voter turnout and the representation of state-specific issues.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡One Nation One Election

The concept of 'One Nation One Election' refers to the idea of conducting all government elections in India, including both national and state-level polls, simultaneously. This is mentioned as a significant change proposed by the Indian government to streamline the election process. The video discusses the potential advantages and challenges of implementing such a system.

💡Election Commission of India

The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering election processes in India. It is mentioned in the context of managing the electoral process and how its role might change under the 'One Nation One Election' system, potentially centralizing the conduct of all elections.

💡Constitutional Amendment

A 'Constitutional Amendment' refers to the process of making changes to a country's constitution. The script discusses the need for approximately 18 amendments to implement 'One Nation One Election,' indicating the scale of legal changes required to realize this concept.

💡Electoral Roll

The 'Electoral Roll' is a document that contains the names of all registered voters in a particular constituency. The video mentions the concept of a unified electoral roll, suggesting that the current separate rolls for different types of elections would be merged under the new system.

💡State Assembly Elections

State Assembly Elections are held to elect members of the legislative assembly in each state of India. The script discusses how these elections, which are currently held at different times, would be synchronized with the national elections under the 'One Nation One Election' model.

💡Cabinet Approval

Cabinet Approval refers to the consent given by the executive branch of the government to proceed with a particular proposal or policy. The video mentions that the Indian cabinet has approved the proposal for 'One Nation One Election,' indicating a significant step towards its implementation.

💡Implementation Group

An 'Implementation Group' is a team set up to oversee the execution of a particular plan or policy. The script refers to the formation of such a group to ensure that the recommendations made by the Kovind Panel are correctly implemented.

💡Kovind Panel

The 'Kovind Panel' refers to a committee chaired by the former President of India, Ram Nath Kovind. The panel submitted a report advocating for simultaneous elections, which is a central topic of the video script. The panel's recommendations are being considered for implementation by the government.

💡Political Parties' Support

The script discusses the support from various political parties for the 'One Nation One Election' concept. It highlights that while many parties initially supported the idea during discussions, some are now opposing it, indicating a shift in political stance and the complexities involved in such a significant policy change.

💡Economic Growth

Economic Growth is mentioned in the context of potential benefits of simultaneous elections. The video suggests that by reducing the frequency of elections, the government can focus more on governance and economic development, leading to a more stable environment for businesses and investors.

💡Voter Turnout

Voter Turnout refers to the percentage of eligible voters who actually go to the polls on election day. The script suggests that by reducing the number of elections, voter fatigue could be reduced, potentially leading to higher voter turnout and engagement in the democratic process.

Highlights

India is preparing for a significant change in its history with the implementation of 'One Nation One Election'.

The concept of 'One Nation One Election' has been approved by the Indian government, ending a long-standing debate.

The idea was initially proposed by a committee under the leadership of former President Ram Nath Kovind.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also supported the 'One Nation One Election' concept.

The implementation will be discussed in detail to address doubts such as what will happen if a government loses its majority.

An implementation group will be formed to ensure that the recommendations of the Kovind panel are correctly implemented.

The plan is to conduct all elections, including state legislative assemblies and local bodies, within a span of 100 days.

There will be a common electoral roll for all elections, merging the separate rolls for state and central elections.

The Kovind panel's report suggests that the term of the parliament should be considered from a designated date.

The transition period will see some challenges, but things are expected to smoothen out eventually.

The new constitution amendment will ensure that if a government loses its majority, it will serve the remaining term.

The 'One Nation One Election' concept has been supported by a large number of parties, including the BJP.

The opposition, including the Congress party, argues that the idea is impractical and against the constitution.

The implementation will require approximately 18 constitutional amendments.

The first phase of implementation will involve the elections of the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

The second phase will integrate local body elections within 100 days after the general elections.

The central government will gain the power to conduct local body and municipality elections.

The President will give assent to the constitutional amendment bills after they are passed by the Parliament.

The 'One Nation One Election' concept is expected to boost governance by keeping the ruling party focused on administration rather than constant campaigning.

Economic growth could also receive a boost due to policy stability, which reduces business uncertainty.

The frequent migration of workers to vote in elections could be reduced, leading to a more stable production cycle.

Voter fatigue and turnout could improve as elections will be less frequent, reducing the burden on citizens.

The concept could reduce the economic burden of conducting multiple elections, saving money for the Election Commission of India and political parties.

Critics argue that regional issues might be overlooked if all elections are held simultaneously.

There is a concern that the importance of state governments might diminish if all focus shifts to the central government.

The discussion around 'One Nation One Election' is expected to continue as the idea moves towards implementation.