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Parliament Passes 130th Constitutional Amendment to Strengthen Election Commission Autonomy
The amendment establishes an independent collegium-based appointment process for Election Commissioners, replacing the executive-driven model challenged in the Anoop Baranwal case.
Parliament has passed the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, fundamentally reshaping the appointment process for the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners. The amendment establishes a Selection Committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India.
The legislative response follows the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Anoop Baranwal v. Union of India, which mandated an independent appointment mechanism. Legal experts note that the amendment goes further than the Court's directive by embedding the process in the Constitution itself, making it resistant to future legislative reversal.
Key provisions
The amendment mandates a transparent, merit-based selection process. Candidates must have served in public administration for at least 25 years. A mandatory cooling-off period of two years applies to retiring bureaucrats before they become eligible.
Constitutional significance
This is one of the rare amendments that strengthens the independence of a constitutional body through structural safeguards rather than mere statutory protections.
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