Editorial Snapshot: 10-June-2025

Tighten the process: On the Election Commission of India, election processes

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has raised concerns over the integrity of the electoral process during the 2024
Maharashtra Assembly elections. Key issues include a sharp and abnormal increase in voter registrations after the general election, unusually high turnout figures after 5 p.m. on polling day, and restricted access to CCTV footage due to recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.He also criticized the Union government’s refusal to implement a 2023 Supreme Court judgment that recommended including the Chief Justice of India in the Election Commissioner appointment panel.While concerns about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been raised before, they often lack credibility due to strong safeguards. The Congress has now shifted focus to broader systemic issues such as electoral roll transparency and data access. A preliminary analysis by The Hindu found similar voter surges in past elections (e.g., 2014), suggesting a pattern rather than an anomaly. Claims of post-5 p.m. voting spikes were debunked by final ECI
data, revealing inaccuracies in provisional figures shared via ECI’s app due to manual data entry errors.However, the denial of access to CCTV footage and limited transparency in voter roll updates remain valid concerns. The passage underscores the need for the Election Commission of India (ECI) to improve transparency, ensure timely data availability, involve political parties in roll updates, and provide access to surveillance footage. Political parties must also be more proactive in the scrutiny process rather than raising objections post-election.

History lessons: On the French Open

The passage reflects on the shifting landscape of tennis, emphasizing how young stars Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have effectively taken over the mantle from legends like Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. Contrary to common nostalgia that current players lack the greatness of the past, Alcaraz and Sinner have silenced such comparisons through consistent, high-level performances. In a thrilling five-set 2024 French Open final, Alcaraz defeated World No. 1 Sinner after five hours and 29 minutes, securing his fifth Grand Slam and becoming only the third man this millennium to defend the Roland-Garros title.Sinner had entered the match with dominant form, winning 31 straight Slam sets and dismantling Djokovic in the semifinal, and was close to winning the championship after taking the first two sets. However, Alcaraz staged a dramatic comeback, saving match points and turning the match around with resilience and superior play under pressure.The women’s final, featuring World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Coco Gauff, was similarly intense but inconsistent in
quality. Despite being the favourite and defeating Iga Swiatek earlier, Sabalenka lost to Gauff in a two-hour and 38-minute battle, hindered by erratic play and tough conditions. Gauff’s composure and evolving technique earned her a second Grand Slam title, confirming her steady rise in the sport.

To get the hindu vocabs pdf –click here