Mains Pyq: ‘Simultaneous election to the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies will limit the amount of time and money spent in electioneering but it will reduce the government’s accountability to the people’ Discuss.

Prelims Pyq: 

Consider the following statements :​
1. In India, there is no law restricting the candidates from contesting in one Lok Sabha election from three constituencies.​

2. In 1991 Lok Sabha Election, Shri Devi Lal contested from three Lok Sabha constituencies.​

3. As per the existing rules, if a candidate contests in one Lok Sabha election from many constituencies, his/her party should bear the cost of bye-elections to the constituencies vacated by him/her in the event of him/her winning in all the constituencies.​

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?​

a.1 only
b.2 only​
c.1 and 3
d. 2 and 3

Why is it in news?

• Amidst the climate crisis, shifting to sustainable practices across every sphere of human activity has become inevitable and urgent. In August 2023, ahead of the Assembly elections in five States, the Election Commission of India (ECI) voiced its concern over the environmental risks associated with the use of non-biodegradable materials in elections.

What is the Concept of Green Elections?

• Green elections involve adopting eco-friendly practices throughout the electoral process, including campaign materials, rallies, and polling booths.
• Transitioning to sustainable alternatives can mitigate the environmental impact and promote citizens’ health.

Why there is need of Green Elections?

• Given that the conduct of every election results in an avoidable carbon footprint, there is a need for eco-friendly elections, which would be a boost to environmental stewardship alongside civic participation.
• Sri Lanka and Estonia, for instance, have conducted environmentally-conscious elections. As India, the world’s most populous democracy, gears up for the next general election, environmental considerations must be prioritised, paving the way for ‘green elections’.

Environmental Impact of Elections:

• In the 2016 US presidential elections, emissions from campaign flights of just one candidate equaled the annual carbon footprint of 500 Americans.
• Traditional election methods involve energy-intensive activities like rallies, use of loudspeakers, PVC flex banners, hoardings, and disposable items, contributing to environmental degradation.
• India’s massive elections involving crores of voters and large political rallies exacerbate the environmental impact.
• Paper-based materials and energy-intensive campaign practices further escalate the environmental footprint.

Challenges in India for green elections:

• Technological Challenges: Implementing electronic and digital voting systems requires robust infrastructure, especially in rural areas, to ensure reliable access to technology. Measures to prevent hacking and fraud must be put in place to maintain the integrity of the electoral process.
• Access and Training: Ensuring fair access to new voting technologies for all voters, including marginalized communities, poses a significant challenge. Training election officials and voters alike on the use of new technologies is essential to facilitate smooth adoption.
• Financial Constraints: Governments may face substantial upfront costs for acquiring eco-friendly materials and implementing new technology, which could deter financially constrained administrations from pursuing such initiatives.
• Cultural and Behavioural Hurdles: Overcoming cultural inertia and the perception of physical presence at polling booths as sacrosanct poses a behavioural challenge. Public scepticism towards new approaches and concerns about compromises to vote security must be addressed to gain widespread acceptance.
• Transparency and Auditing: Ensuring transparency in the adoption of new technologies and implementing effective auditing mechanisms are crucial to building trust in environmentally-friendly election practices.

Successful examples of green elections

Kerala:

• Campaigning Restrictions: During the 2019 general election, the Kerala State Election Commission urged political parties to avoid single-use plastic materials.
• Ban on Non-Biodegradable Materials: The Kerala High Court imposed a ban on flex and non-biodegradable materials in electioneering, promoting the use of alternatives like wall graffiti and paper posters.
• Collaboration for Green Elections: Government bodies collaborated with the district administration in Thiruvananthapuram to ensure eco-friendly elections, including conducting training sessions for election workers in villages.

Goa:

• Eco-Friendly Election Booths: In 2022, the Goa State Biodiversity Board introduced eco-friendly election booths for the Assembly elections, utilizing biodegradable materials crafted by local traditional artisans.

Sri Lanka:

• Carbon-Sensitive Campaign: The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party launched the world’s first carbon-sensitive environmentally friendly election campaign in 2019.
• Carbon Emission Measurement: SLPP measured carbon emissions from vehicles and electricity used during political campaigns and compensated for them by planting trees in each district through public participation.

Estonia:

• Digital Voting Initiative: Estonia pioneered digital voting as an online alternative, promoting voter participation while reducing the environmental footprint of traditional paper-based elections.
• Robust Security Measures: The success of Estonia’s digital voting system demonstrates that accompanying robust security measures can ensure both eco- and electorate-friendly elections.

Suggested blueprint and Way-forward for Green elections

• Involving All Stakeholders: The green transition must involve all stakeholders, including political parties, Election Commissions, governments, voters, the media, and civil society.
• Integration of Directives: Success lies in integrating top-level directives with grassroots initiatives to foster a green transition effectively.

• Leadership Role: Political parties should take the lead in enacting legislation mandating eco-friendly electoral practices.
• Legislative Initiatives: This involves campaigning through digital platforms or door-to-door campaigning, reducing energy-intensive public rallies, and encouraging the use of public transportation for election work.
• Supporting Local Alternatives: Incentivizing the replacement of plastic and paper-based materials with sustainable local alternatives for polling booths, such as natural fabrics, recycled paper, and compostable plastics, aids waste management and supports local artisans.

• Advocacy for Digital Voting: The ECI can push for digital voting, despite the need for training and capacity building of officials.
• Ensuring Equal Participation: To ensure equal participation of all voters in the digital electoral process, the government must educate and support voters and ensure equitable access to digital technology.

• Catalyst Role: Civil society should act as a catalyst in promoting eco-conscious electoral practices.
• Media’s Crucial Role: The media can emphasize the environmental impact of conventional election methods and shed light on innovative eco-friendly alternatives.

• Setting an Example: Embracing eco-conscious electoral practices can help India set an example for other democracies around the world.

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