A meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 'One Nation, One Election' bill will be held today, August 11, at 3 PM. During the meeting, committee members will engage in in-depth discussions on the subject and deliberate with a panel of experts.
New Delhi: The 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, a long-standing topic of discussion in India, is set for a crucial Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting today at 3 PM. In this meeting, committee members will interact with experts from various fields and deliberate on the possibilities, advantages, and challenges of holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies.
Venue and Format of the Meeting
According to sources, the meeting will be held in the Main Committee Room (MCR) of the Parliament House complex. Several distinguished academicians, former parliamentarians, and social science experts have been invited to attend the meeting. Key names participating in today's meeting include:
- Prof. G. Gopal Reddy – Miranda House, Delhi University
- Prof. Sushma Yadav – Central University of Haryana
- Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe – Former Member of Rajya Sabha
- Prof. Sheela Rai – National Council of Social Sciences
- Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta – Guwahati University
Key Discussion Points in the Meeting
The meeting will seek to understand the potential impact of simultaneous elections on India's political stability, administrative efficiency, and utilization of economic resources. Currently, elections for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies are held at different times, leading to repeated election expenses and pressure on administrative resources. Supporters of the 'One Nation, One Election' concept believe that it will:
- Significantly reduce election expenses
- Minimize disruptions to development work
- Increase voter participation
- Ensure continuity in policy-making
However, critics argue that holding simultaneous elections for all states and the center in a diverse country like India may be practically difficult. Concerns are also raised about the potential impact on the autonomy of states and the center.
Background of the Previous Session
Earlier, on July 30, 2025, a JPC meeting was held where former Rajya Sabha member and Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, N.K. Singh, and Dr. Prachi Mishra, Professor of Economics at Ashoka University, gave their presentations. According to them, simultaneous elections could lead to an additional increase of approximately 1.5% in India's Real GDP.
Based on the year 2024, this increase would be equivalent to approximately 4.5 lakh crore rupees, which is about half of the country's total health budget or one-third of the education budget.
