The Tarkunde Committee was established in India to examine and suggest reforms for the electoral system in the country. The committee was named after its chairman, V M Tarkunde. It was constituted in 1974 by the then government, with the objective of addressing concerns related to the electoral process and proposing measures to enhance its transparency, fairness, and efficiency. The committee’s report, titled “Towards Political Reform,” was submitted in 1975.
Tarkunde Committee
| Manmdate | Chairman | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency in Electoral Process | V M Tarkunde | 1974 |
"Tarkunde Committee was mandated to recommend the measures to curb the electoral malpractices such as booth capturing, bogus voting, and electoral violence"
The committee’s report highlighted several key issues and put forward various recommendations for electoral reform in India.
Key Recommendations:
- It recommended to reduce the voting age from 21 years to 18 years.
- The election commission should be a three member body.
- The TV and Radio should be brought under an autonomous statutory body.
While the recommendations sparked discussions on electoral reform in India, not all of its suggestions were implemented in their entirety. However, the committee’s report played a significant role in shaping subsequent debates on electoral reforms and influenced the discourse around enhancing the democratic process in the country.