Expressnews
Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu – SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) today hosted Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Honourable Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, as the Chief Guest for a distinguished address. The central theme of her address was the potential economic benefits of implementing “One Nation, One Election.”
Stressing the role of academia, Hon’ble Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs, mooted that it is high time that we engage in conversation with intellectual educators and students alike to popuralise the model of ‘One Nation One Election’.
“This idea of ‘One Nation, One Election’ has been discussed for nearly a decade across several expert committees. If we approach the matter with the perspective of what is best for our nation, we can understand where the opposition arises from and why.
We are trying to implement the change through two bills. One is a Constitutional Amendment (129) to legally introduce the provision for simultaneous elections. Similarly, for State Assemblies like Puducherry, Jammu & Kashmir, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
This plan wasn’t introduced all of a sudden. Various groups and committees have deliberated on it from different angles over the years.
The actual implementation of this idea is expected only after the 2029 general elections, when the President may initiate the procedure formally. For this, Sections 82A, 83A, and 327 will be introduced to bring the plan into effect.
In 2019, a Lok Sabha-led all-party meeting was held, and out of 19 parties present, 16 supported the proposal. A high-level committee was later formed under the chairmanship of former President Ram Nath Kovind, which consulted 47 political parties—32 of them favoured the plan.
For the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, nearly 10 lakh security personnel and 25 lakh election administrative officials were deployed. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, approximately ₹1 lakh crore was spent. If elections are conducted once every five years under the ‘One Nation, One Election’ model, it is estimated that nearly ₹12,000 crore can be saved.”
The event also witnessed Dr. Tamilisai Soundarajan, Former Governor of Telangana and Pondicherry, Mr. Arjuna Murthy, BJP’s Intellectural Cell, Tamil Nadu, in the presence of Dr. T.R. Paarivendhar, Founder & Chancellor of SRMIST, whose visionary leadership has been instrumental in fostering academic excellence and intellectual discourse at the institution.
The address by Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman provided a valuable opportunity for the SRMIST community to gain deeper insights into the intricacies of national policy and the importance of strategic planning for the nation’s progress. The university extends its sincere gratitude to the Honourable Minister for her enlightening address and for taking the time to interact with the attendees.
SRMIST remains committed to its mission of fostering an environment conducive to intellectual growth and meaningful engagement with national and global issues.
