ENCORE software

About ENCORE software:

• This ENCORE software stands for Enabling Communications On Real-Time Environment.
• This provides a seamless facility for Returning Officers to process candidate nominations, affidavits, Voter turnout, counting, results, and data management. 
• The ENCORE counting application is an end-to-end application for returning officers to digitize the votes polled, tabulate the round-wise data and then take out various statutory reports of counting.
• Another application called the ENCORE Scrutiny Application allows Returning Officers to do scrutiny of the nominations filed by the candidates online.
• After verification of the nomination the status is marked as Accepted, Rejected or Withdrawn helping the Returning Officer to prepare the final list of contesting candidates and assign the symbols.

Key Facts about the Election Commission of India

• It is a permanent constitutional bodyresponsible for organising free and fair elections in India.
• The Constitution grants the ECI the power of direction, superintendence, and control of elections to Parliament, state legislatures, the office of president of India, and the office of vice-president of India.
• Functions
• Determining the Electoral Constituencies’ territorial areas throughout the country.
• Preparing and periodically revising electoral rollsand registering all eligible voters.
• Notifying the schedules and dates of elections and scrutinising nomination papers.
• Granting recognition to the various political partiesand allocating them election symbols.
• The Commission also has advisory jurisdiction in the matter of post-election disqualification of sitting members of Parliament and State Legislatures.
• Composition: The commission consists of a Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two Election Commissioners (ECs).
• Under Article 324 (2), the President appoints the CEC and other ECs.
• The President makes the appointment on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister.
• The Constitution does not prescribe any qualifications, academic or otherwise, for appointment to these offices.
• The tenure of office and the conditions of service of all the commissioners is determined by the President. 
• The tenure of commissioners is 6 years or up to the age of 65, whichever is earlier.
• The CEC and the two other ECs have the same powers and emoluments, including salaries, which are the same as those of a Supreme Court judge.
• In 2023, the Supreme Court mandated that, until the Parliament provides by law, the Election Commissioners shall be appointed on the recommendation of a Selection Committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India. In response to this, the Government of India has introduced the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023. It provides that the CEC and ECs will be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of a Selection Committee. The Selection Committee will consist of the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister, and Leader of Opposition/leader of the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha. The Bill is still pending in the Rajya Sabha.