Appointment and Tenure (EC & ECI)
Duration: 4 min
This video lesson is available to enrolled students.
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This educational video lecture focuses on the 'Appointment and Tenure' (Niyukti aur Karyakal) of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other Election Commissioners (ECs) in India. The instructor uses a bilingual table to explain constitutional provisions, highlighting the role of the President, the tenure duration, and the removal process. He supplements the printed text with handwritten notes on the screen to clarify the evolution of the appointment committee established by the Supreme Court in 2013.
Chapters
0:00 – 2:00 00:00-02:00
The instructor begins by introducing the topic of appointment and tenure. He points to the first row of the table, which states in Hindi and English that the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners are appointed by the President (Rashtrapati). To provide context on recent legal changes, he writes 'S.C -> P.M + CM' and '2013' on the screen, indicating that the Supreme Court intervened in 2013 to form a committee involving the Prime Minister and other leaders for appointments, rather than just the President. He circles the word 'Rashtrapati' in the Hindi text to emphasize the constitutional text while explaining the practical change.
2:00 – 4:20 02:00-04:20
The lecture progresses to the tenure and removal of officials. The instructor discusses the tenure row, noting that officials hold office for six years or until they attain the age of 65, whichever is earlier. He underlines '6 varsh' (6 years) and '65 varsh' (65 years) in the Hindi text. He then explains the removal process: the CEC can be removed only through a process similar to a Supreme Court Judge by Parliament, while other ECs can be removed only on the recommendation of the Chief Election Commissioner. He underlines the phrase 'Mukhya Nivachan Ayukt ki salah' (Recommendation of CEC) to stress this distinction. Finally, he briefly mentions that their salary and allowances are similar to those of a Supreme Court Judge.
The video provides a structured overview of the constitutional framework governing the Election Commission of India. It establishes that while the President formally appoints commissioners, the process has evolved to include a committee as per Supreme Court directives. The lecture emphasizes the security of tenure, set at six years or age 65, to ensure independence from political pressure. Crucially, it distinguishes the removal powers, protecting the CEC with a high parliamentary threshold while giving the CEC authority over the removal of other commissioners, thereby maintaining the body's autonomy and integrity.