The government has opted to maintain the status of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners at the level of judges of the Supreme Court amidst protests from opposition parties and former chief election commissioners.
Currently, the CECs and ECs hold the status equivalent to that of a Supreme Court judge.
The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, presented in the Rajya Sabha in August this year, had initially proposed elevating the status of the CEC and other ECs to that of the Cabinet Secretary.
Opposition parties and some former CECs opposed this move, expressing concerns about its potential impact on the institution's independence.
According to PTI, the official amendment specifies, "The CEC and other commissioners shall be paid a salary which is equal to the salary of a judge of the Supreme Court."
Another proposed amendment outlines the formation of a search committee led by the Union Law Minister, including two other members not below the rank of secretary to the government of India, to prepare a panel of five persons for the selection committee.
In the initial bill, it was suggested that the Cabinet Secretary would head the search committee.
The bill is scheduled for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
