The document proposes electoral reforms to reduce corruption in India. It suggests forming a separate body to regulate politician's activities during elections, increasing the role of the Election Commission to bar candidates with criminal cases and monitor spending, and implementing public awareness campaigns and media oversight. Other proposals include making community service and oath-taking mandatory for some candidates to improve accountability. The goal is to curb the influence of money and muscle power in elections and help clean, young leaders form transparent governments.

1. A corruption free India
-electoral reforms to curb corruption
Tips by:
Suraj Krishnan
Sahil Nazim Pradhan
Swapan Madabhushi Venkata
Nischal Nagireddi Jagadesh
Janardhan Reddy
(Manipal Institute of Technology)

2. Introduction
• The way our legislature, the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha,and the state legislative assemblies
function does not make us feel proud.
• One of the major problems with legislature is the number of unsatisfactory candidates who find
their way in to the legislature.
• We urgently need fundamental political reforms and changes in our political system to make it far
more transparent.
• The evil influence of muscle and money power on the elections must be curbed by introducing new
electoral reforms to lend more stability to the government.

3. Formation of a Separate Body
1. Current Problems:
• Politicians sway their target voters by making false promises.
• They also distribute goods in the form of electronics, vehicles, foods, utensils to impress the public.
• The actions of the politicians after being elected do not coincide with their promises.
2. Merits:
• This body will ensure that politicians do not distribute any type of goods to the public 6 months before
they start canvassing for the elections.
• This body will demand the detailed agendas of each candidate apart from the party agenda during
registration of the candidate. The candidate will not be allowed to give any speech during the
canvassing which deters from the one mentioned in the agenda.
• The body will ensure that only candidates who have a strong background in community service will be
able to contest in the elections.
• This body will ensure that the elected representative fulfills the promises made in his agenda within a
certain time limit.
3. Implementation:
• This body will be formed by young and bright volunteers who can work under the Election
Commission.
• This body shall be kept away from any other influences from the government, organization or
individual.

4. Increasing the Role of Election Commission
1. Problems to tackle:
• Candidates are allowed to contest in elections even though they have cases pending against them.
• Expenditure in canvassing for elections is superfluous.
• Politicians transfer their assets to their nearest family members, so that they are not under any scanner.
2. New roles of EC:
• EC should not allow any candidate to contest for the elections if s/he has any pending criminal cases against him/her. The candidate can
contest only after s/he is proven guilty by the court of law.
• When the top leader/s of a party are proven guilty of any offense, the entire party should not be allowed to take part in the elections at least
for one term.
• The EC should supply the funds for canvassing to all candidates and prevent any party or individual from crossing the limit in any
constituency.
• Also, the accounts for canvassing should be made transparent and accessible to all voters.
• The accounts of not only the politicians themselves but also the nearest family members must be monitored.
3. How would it help?
• This will prevent corrupt politicians from running the country.
• It also gives opportunity to clean, young and bright leaders to form the government.
• It would place independent candidates and the candidates belonging to any political party at the same level in terms of resources the have.
• The monitoring of the accounts of even the family members of the politicians will make them think twice before the become a part of any
corrupt activity.

5. Public Awareness
1. Why is it important?
• People should be made to realize the importance of the voting and choosing a responsible
representative
• They should be encouraged to be sincere and not resort to corrupt practices like accepting
bribes, electronics, vehicles and other commodities.
• They be made aware of the fact that the candidate whom they will vote for is going to take
care of them for the next 5 years and hence they should not be tempted to be a part of any
corrupt activity.
• The voters should not just look for the party they support but also at the candidate
representing the party in their constituency.
• The voters should be made aware of the agendas of the parties along with the agenda of the
part representative and those of the individual candidates.
2. Who will do it?
• Public awareness will be taken over by the government and volunteers across the country.
• It can also be made a part of the community service activities of the students.
• This should be done in public and through media like internet, radio, television, etc.
• It should be made compulsory for each politician to raise public awareness during his/her
speech like encouraging the voters not to accept bribes, encouraging them to carefully vote
for their chosen representatives etc.

6. Role of Media
1. Current Problems:
• The problem of bribes is still present mainly in the rural areas.
• The common masses are not aware of the profiles of the politicians especially in the urban areas.
2. Effective Solutions:
• The media should be encouraged cover all rural areas during the elections to keep a check on the candidates.
• The media should also address the needs of all the people and show the statistics of measures taken by the previous
representatives and make it accessible to one and all over the internet, television, radio etc.
• The profiles of all elected representatives and candidates standing for elections should be made accessible to all people.
3. How will it benefit?
• The politicians will know that they are been watched and hence will not resort to any corrupt practices like giving bribes,
threatening etc.
• Since the media addresses the problems of the local areas, the people will know how effectively they are being addressed.
• Since the profile of each politician will be accessible by his/her prospective voters, s/he will try to stay away from corrupt
activities.

7. Biased Media
1. Current problems:
• It is not uncommon these days to see politicians owning television
channels and other mass media means like websites and social
networking feeds.
• Hence have been delivering biased news to the public in the favor of
their own party.
• Even other newspapers and news channels biased towards a political
party they support and give the public false statistics.
2. Solution:
• The media should be monitored and should not be allowed to report
biased news to the public.
• The news journal/channel guilty of reporting biased news should not be
allowed to give coverage about election campaign for the forthcoming
elections.
• Apart from tis, the media owned by politicians should also not be
allowed to give coverage about the election campaigns.
3. Result:
• This ensures that the voters get unbiased news and have clear opinions
about their prospective representatives.
• This also prevents political parties and individual candidates from raising
false allegations over one another.

8. Community Service
1. Why community service?
• To understand the needs, wants of the people better, it
should be made mandatory for the candidates to take part
in community service.
• This will also help voters get to know the candidate
better.
2. By whom?
• Candidates who are new to politics like actors, sports
persons, businessmen etc.
• Candidates who have less than 10 years of experience as
an MLA, MLC or MP.

9. Oath
1. Why should it be made compulsory?
• If the candidate takes the oath, it is possible to
disqualify her/him if s/he resorts to any unfair
means during the elections.
• By taking an oath in front of the voters a
candidate is aware of his promise made to the
masses and considers taking a rightful path.
• The oath ensures that the minds of the politicians
do not get diverted from their goals.
2. Where should the oath be taken?
• The candidate should take the oath in every
campaign before the masses and also after his
election as a representative.

10. Conclusion
All politicians must have a feeling of love for India. In the same way that a man wants to keep his house clean all
politicians must aim for a clean an a prosperous India. We feel that by implementing the above measures we can curb the
problems faced by the influence of money and muscle power in India.
It is not only the responsibility of the government but also equally ours to cooperate with the government
We must have some high principles to follow so that we may be models for the coming generation.