10 October: the model code of conduct
Saturday 10 October 2026
GS Paper 2 · 250 words · 15 marks
Discuss the role of the Election Commission of India in the light of the evolution of the Model Code of Conduct.
(UPSC Mains 2022, GS Paper 2, Q15)
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How to approach this question
What the question asks.
| Part | What to write |
|---|---|
| The role of the Election Commission | What the Commission does under Article 324 |
| In the light of the evolution of the code | How each stage of the code changed that role |
| Discuss | Strengths and criticisms, then your view |
A shape that works in 250 words.
- Introduction. Article 324, and the fact that the code is a set of guidelines with no statute behind it.
- Origins. The code began with parties in Kerala in 1960. The Commission adopted it nationally in 1962.
- Expansion. The 1979 section on the party in power, enforcement under T.N. Seshan, the 2014 manifesto guidelines.
- Technology. The cVIGIL app lets citizens report violations.
- Limits. No legal force, slow action on complaints, questions over independence.
- Conclusion. One or two reforms with a reason.
What to avoid.
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| A list of what the code bans | Pick two provisions and say what they show |
| No dates | Give a year for each stage |
| Only praise | Give one paragraph to criticism |
| Ending on "free and fair elections are the bedrock of democracy" | Name a reform |
A model answer
Article 324 gives the Election Commission of India the superintendence, direction and control of elections. The Model Code of Conduct has no statutory backing. The Commission's role has grown through the way it has used the code.
From consensus to enforcement
The code began as an agreement among parties in the Kerala assembly election of 1960. The Commission circulated it to all parties for the 1962 general election. In 1979 it added a section on the party in power, which limits the use of official machinery and new announcements during elections. Under T.N. Seshan in the 1990s, the Commission enforced the code strictly.
Widening the code
In S. Subramaniam Balaji (2013), the Supreme Court asked the Commission to frame guidelines on manifestos. The Commission added them to the code in 2014. The cVIGIL app, used from 2018, lets citizens report violations with a photo or video.
Limits
- The code has no legal force. The Commission can censure a candidate or bar campaigning for a period, but penalties depend on other laws.
- Action on complaints against senior leaders has been criticised as slow.
- Independence depends on appointments. In Anoop Baranwal (2023), the Supreme Court put the Chief Justice on the selection panel until Parliament legislated. The 2023 Act replaced the Chief Justice with a Union minister.
Conclusion
A parliamentary committee recommended in 2013 that the code be made legally binding. A better first step is fixed timelines for deciding complaints, with reasons published for each decision.
Word count: 245.
Why this answer works. Every stage of the code has a year and says what the Commission did. The limits section gives three separate problems. The conclusion names one reform and how it would work.
Where it could be stronger. It could name one specific complaint and how long the Commission took to decide it.