Published Paper Details:

This paper analyzes the effect of reforms on the 'free and fair' elections of India in the context of democracy, revealing the shortcomings of democracy in Indian perspective, especially concerning election sobriety and minimal conditions for actually free elections. The Indian experiment of democracy in creating an electoral system after the Indian Constitution is an indicator of the growth of democratic ethos in the nation and the radical changes desired by enlargement of suffrage, honesty in elections, and minimization of malpractices. The country's electoral system modernization was facilitated by the People's Representation Act, the growing role of the Election Commission of India, and the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Despite these reforms, the electoral system of India continues to experience persistent challenges. The research targets critical concerns of modern-day elections such as the social and conventional muscle resources, increasing political influence of prisoners, breach of political norms, and cyber political battles via social media. Such issues threaten the sovereignty of a democratic nation and have much graver consequences in the long-term democratic process. The paper also examines the laws that are tied to the Constitution governing elections in India with specific focus on the role of democracy in India.