UPSC DAW Mains Answer Writing 2025 21st August

UPSC DAW Mains Answer Writing 2025 21st August

Question

The electoral framework in India often excludes internal migrants from effective political participation. Examine the challenges of securing voting rights for migrant citizens and suggest suitable reforms. (10 marks, 150 words) 

Model Answer

Introduction:  

  • Internal migration in India is one of the largest in the world. As per the 2011 Census, there were 455 million migrants, constituting 37% of the population. Yet, India’s electoral framework is territorially bound, leading to systemic exclusion of migrants from political participation. Many studies have confirmed that migrants face structural barriers to exercising voting rights, making this a critical democratic deficit. 

 Challenges in Securing Migrant Citizens’ Voting Rights: 

  • Structural and Administrative Barriers 

  • Voter registration tied to residence proof (Form 6, Representation of the People Act, 1950) whereas migrants live in informal housing or rented rooms lack documentary proof. 

  • ECI’s 2019 Lok Sabha Elections data shows turnout in high out-migration states (Bihar, Uttar Pradesh) was 8-10% lower than national average. 

  • Lack of Portability in Electoral Infrastructure 

  • Unlike One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme, there is no portable voter identity. 

  • Migrants are forced to choose between origin-based and destination-based enrolment, losing political agency in either place. 

  • Social and Political Exclusion 

  • In host states, migrants are often seen as ‘outsiders’ who may distort local political balance (regionalism, sub-nationalism). This discourages enrolment drives. 

  • The NITI Aayog Report on Internal Migration (2017) notes migrants face a ‘dual identity crisis’ where they feel belonging economically in host states but politically in origin states. 

  • Digital and Informational Divide 

  • Application processes for shifting voter IDs require digital literacy and bureaucratic navigation. 

  • There is a ‘triple burden’ of administrative hurdles, digital illiteracy, and social exclusion on migrants. 

  • Gendered and Vulnerable Groups 

  • Women migrating post-marriage often fail to update voter rolls, resulting in disenfranchisement. 

  • Border regions (E.g., Indo–Nepal border cross-marital migration) adds layers of citizenship issues. 

  • Low Turnout and Democratic Deficit 

  • Average turnout in high out-migration states is significantly below the national average. 

  • Supreme Court in PUCL vs Union of India (2003) held that the right to vote, though statutory, is integral to the freedom of expression under Article 19(1)(a), making disenfranchisement of migrants a constitutional concern. 

 Reforms to Ensure Inclusive Electoral Participation: 

  • Portable and Flexible Voter Identity 

  • Introduce ‘One Nation One Voter ID’, on the lines of ONORC. 

  • Allow remote voting facilities for migrants using blockchain or secure electronic means. 

  • Cross-State Coordination 

  • ECI should integrate origin and destination state voter rolls to prevent duplication while enabling migrant voting rights. 

  • Also, conduct regular tracking of migrants to update electoral rolls. 

  • Targeted Outreach and Re-Registration Drives 

  • Panchayats and urban local bodies to conduct migrant re-enrolment campaigns under supervision of State Election Commissions. 

  • Civil society involvement to bridge information gaps. 

  • Legal and Institutional Strengthening 

  • Amend the Representation of the People Act, 1950 to recognize migrant voters as a distinct category with flexible enrolment options. 

  • Operationalize Section 60(c) of the Act, which allows ECI to specify classes of persons who can vote by postal ballot → extend to registered migrants. 

  • Technology-Based Solutions 

  • Aadhaar–EPIC linkage (with safeguards for privacy, per Supreme Court’s Puttaswamy Judgment, 2017) to reduce duplication and improve portability. 

  • Mobile apps for migrant registration, in regional languages, accessible offline. 

  • Political and Policy Recognition 

  • Include migrant political participation as part of National Migration Policy framework. 

 Conclusion:  

  • Migrant citizens embody the paradox of India’s democracy where they contribute significantly to the economic growth of host states but remain politically invisible. Unless electoral infrastructure moves from a sedentary model to a mobile and portable system, India risks deepening its democratic deficit as protecting inclusivity is central to electoral legitimacy.