INDEPENDENT PANEL FOR
MONITORING INDIAN ELECTIONS
To ensure election integrity during India’s 2024 General Election, the Independent Panel for Monitoring Indian Elections (IPMIE) has been formed to support domestic election monitoring initiatives.
BACKGROUND
Election monitoring groups in India have raised concerns about the electoral process, which could undermine electoral integrity and jeopardise fairness in India’s upcoming General Election, 2024. These relate to:
Electoral Procedures
The use of Electronic Voting Machines instead of paper ballots raises concerns about fairness and the risks of rigging.
Voter Registration
Previous research has found that minority and disadvantaged groups are often excluded from electoral rolls.
Political Party Financing
India’s recently-banned electoral bond scheme, which allowed anonymous donations to political parties, created an unequal and opaque financing system.
Media Coverage
Media bias, misinformation, disinformation and hate speech are all major concerns in the upcoming General Election.
The Election Commission of India (ECI)
The ECI is not an independent body and has inconsistently applied the Model Code of Conduct.
A Lack of Redress
Grievances and electoral complaints have previously not been adequately addressed by the ECI or domestic courts.
ABOUT THE IPMIE
With groups on the ground, our team of renowned experts will monitor India’s 2024 General Election to ensure that it is conducted in line with international and established democratic standards. The Panel will release periodic reports on its findings.
THE INDEPENDENT PANEL
Prof. Neera Chandhoke: National Fellow at Indian Council of Social Science Research, and retd. Professor, Delhi University, India.
Dr. Thomas Daffern: Philosopher and Historian; Chairman of World Intellectuals Wisdom Forum; Director, International Institute of Peace Studies and Global Philosophy; and Convenor, Commonwealth Interfaith Network, France and UK.
Mr. Sakhawat Hossain: Former Election Commissioner, Bangladesh.
Dr. Harish Karnick: Former Professor, IIT, Kanpur, India.
Dr. Sebastian Morris: Former Professor, IIM, Ahmedabad, India.
Prof. Rahul Mukherji: Professor & Chair, Modern Politics of South Asia, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University, Germany.
“As the largest democracy in the world, it is up to India to lead with and maintain the highest democratic standards in the upcoming General Election.“
Independent Panel for Monitoring Indian Elections
OUR LATEST PUBLICATIONS
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First Interim Report of IPMIE (English) – 17 April 2024
Baseline Report of IPMIE (English) – 15 March 2024
Baseline Report of IPMIE (Hindi) – 15 March 2024