Syllabus for Election Law

The main objective of the course is to enable students to understand the Election, Election
Commission, Elector and Electoral practices, Disputes relates to election and Corruption
practices in election. It enables the students to understand and seek solutions to pressing
problems in the domain of democracy and good governance. In view of changing niceties, the
syllabus incorporates the latest developments relates to election. This syllabus also aims to
create awareness among the students and develop their abilities to deal with the electoral
issues and take up professional practice in the field of electoral laws.
Unit-I
Democracy & Representation evolution of democracy & election system types of
election- direct and indirect, general, bye & mid-term election - types of representation general principles of election - election of President & Vice-President - qualification and
disqualification of members of Parliament and State Legislature under the Constitution and
appropriate legislations - special provisions for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes
reservation for scheduled castes and tribes women reservation local bodies election
Unit- II
Election Commission- composition, powers and functions of the election Commission
general electoral roll - preparation and its revision - supervisory powers of the election
commission process of removal of member and Chief Election Commissioner political
parties - registration and recognition as national & state parties - symbols election expenses
auditing of Party funds public financing of elections State Election Commissionsmonitoring of electoral expenditure of the political parties
Unit - III
Electors and Electoral Practices universal Adult Suffrage - system of voting - right to vote
& contest- candidates and their eligibility to contest notification of election constituencies
& delimitation and its commission- Gerry mandering- nomination, scrutiny and withdrawal
of candidature grounds for rejection effect of death- election campaign code of conduct
- poll- ballot papers including postal ballot & Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) hiring of
vehicles retuning, presiding and polling officers - electors identity card - None of the

Above (NOTA) & declaration of results - Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT)
Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) NRI voting options electoral manifesto guidelines freebies freedom of expression right to know - media &
exit poll.
Unit-IV
Electoral Disputes defection - election petitions - electoral offences bribery, undue
influence, appeal on grounds of caste, religion etc - electoral fraud and other crimes against
electoral system - corporate funding of political parties and roll of black money jurisdiction
of courts safeguard against impersonation criminalization of politics publication of
false or defamatory statements.
Unit V
Corrupt practices: Prevention of Corruption Act, Lok Ayuktha Act & Lok Pal Act Electoral
Reforms.
Relevant Legislations:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Constitution of India
Representation of People Act, 1950 and 1951
Delimitation of Constituencies Act,
The Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952
The Conduct of Election Rules, 1961
The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968
The Delimitation Act, 1972

Reference Books:
1. Rajni Kothari, Rethinking Democracy (Orient Longman: 2005)
2. Manoranjan Mohanty, Theorizing Indias Democracy, in Indian Democracy: Meanings
and Practices, Rajendra Vohra, ed. et al., (Sage: 2004)
3. Atul Kohli, The Success of Indias Democracy, (Foundation Books : 2005)
4. Sunil Khilnani, Indias Democratic Career in Democracy, The Unfinished Journey 508
BC to AD 1993, John Dunn, ed., (OUP: 1992)
5. Niraja Gopal Jayal, Democracy and the State, Welfare, Secularism and Development in
Contemporary India (OUP: 2001)
6. Suhas Palshikar, Whose Democracy Are We Talking About, in Indian Democracy:
Meanings and Practices, Rajendra Vohra, ed. et al., (Sage: 2004)
7. Ramesh Thakur, Government and Politics of India, (Palgrave Macmillan: 1995),

8. Francine R Frankel, Contextual Democracy: Intersections of Society, Culture and Politics

in India, in Francine R Frankel, Transforming India: Social and Political Dynamics of
Democracy (Oxford: 2000)
9. E. Sridharan, Electoral Coalitions in 2004 General Elections Theory and Evidence,
EPW, Vol. 39 No. 51 5418 (2004)
10. Asghar Ali Engineer, Minorities and Elections What are the Options?, EPW Vol. 39 No.
13 1378
11. Alistair Macmillan, Constitution 91st Amendment Bill: A Constitutional Fraud?, EPW
Commentary, April 14-21, 2001
Recommended for reading:
1. S.K. Mendiratta, Are You Want to Know about Indian Elections, Publisher LexisNexis
Butterworths, First Edition: 2009 ISBN: 0 | 9788180385124;
2. R.N. Choudhry, Election Laws and Practices in India, Publisher: Orient Law House,
Fouth Edition: 2014, ISBN: 8187197137 | 9788187197133;
3. V.S.Rama Devi and S.K. Mendiratta, How India Votes, Election Laws, Practices and
Procedures, Publisher: LexisNexis, Butterworths, Third Edition: 2014, ISBN: 0 |
9789351430322;
4. Justice T.S. Doabia, Law of Election Petitions, Publisher: LexisNexis, Butterworths,
Fourth Edition: 2013, ISBN: 0 | 9788180389047;
5. Rajesh Kumar Thakur, Indian Electoral Law and Process: An Imperative for Good
Governance, Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan, ISBN: 9789381063507;
6. K.C. Saha, Model Code of Conduct Handbook Elections in India, Publisher: Neha
Publishers & Distributors, ISBN: 9788175417915;
7. K.C. Saha, Election: Model Code of Conduct, Publisher: Shipra Publications, New Delhi,
Publication Year: 2005, ISBN: 8175412593;
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