State Election Commissioner

Subject: Polity

Context:

Mr. N. Ramesh Kumar took charge as the State Election Commissioner (SEC) of Andhra Pradesh upon his reappointment by the Governor recently.

Concept:

• The super-intendance, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of all elections to the panchayats shall be vested in the state election commission.
• It consists of a state election commissioner to be appointed by the governor.
• His conditions of service and tenure of office shall also be determined by the governor.
• He shall not be removed from the office except in the manner and on the grounds prescribed for the removal of a judge of the state high court.
• His conditions of service shall not be varied to his disadvantage after his appointment.

Removal of high court judges:

• A judge of a high court can be removed from his office by an order of the President.
• The President can issue the removal order only after an address by the Parliament has been presented to him in the same session for such removal.
• The address must be supported by a special majority of each House of Parliament (i.e., a majority of the total membership of that House and majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting).
• The grounds of removal are two—proved misbehavior or incapacity.