Election Commission Issues New Guidelines for Digital Campaigning
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has released comprehensive guidelines to regulate digital campaigning and social media use during elections.
2-Minute Summary (TL;DR)
- Mandatory disclosure of social media ad expenditure.
- Pre-certification of digital content by MCMC is required.
- Model Code of Conduct (MCC) explicitly applies to digital platforms.
- New rules to curb AI-generated deepfakes and misinformation during polls.
How This Topic is Tested in Competitive Exams
| Exam | Frequency | Approx. Marks | What Gets Asked |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC (CGL / CHSL / MTS) | High | 4–6 | Questions on constitutional amendments, Parliament, and schemes appear in every SSC paper. |
| UPSC / State PCS | Very High | 15–25 | Polity is a core UPSC subject. Both Prelims and Mains test constitutional provisions in depth. |
| State PCS / PSC | High | 5–10 | State PCS papers test both central and state government structures. |
What to Memorize from This Topic
- Article numbers related to the topic (e.g., Article 356 for President's Rule)
- Constitutional bodies: composition, tenure, appointment authority
- Recent amendments and their impact
- Supreme Court / High Court judgements mentioned in news
- Government schemes: ministry, launch year, beneficiaries
Practice Questions
Q1. Which committee is responsible for the pre-certification of political advertisements in India?
- Election Monitoring Board
- Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC)
- Digital Content Regulatory Authority
- Publicity Oversight Committee
Explanation: The Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) is responsible for the pre-certification of political advertisements.
Q2. Candidates must disclose their social media accounts at which stage of the election?
- After winning
- During the campaign
- At the time of filing nominations
- Before the results
Explanation: As per the new ECI guidelines, candidates must provide details of their social media accounts when filing their nominations.
How to Prepare Indian Polity & Governance for Government Exams
Map every news item to an Article or provision in the Constitution. This is what UPSC Prelims directly tests.
For SSC and Railway, focus on the practical side — who appoints whom, term lengths, and what each body does.
Note the date and context of any constitutional amendment or ordinance. Questions are often framed around the 'first time' or 'most recent' event.
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