Context:

• The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill of 2017 has been introduced by the government in the Parliament.

About the Bill:

• The Bill proposes to allow non-resident Indians (NRIs) to emerge as a decisive force in the country’s electoral politics on their own terms.
• The amendment paves the way to remove an “unreasonable restriction” posed by Section 20A of the Representation of the People Act, which requires overseas electors to be physically present in their electoral constituencies to cast their votes.
• Section 20A of the Act provides for registration and inclusion of overseas electors in the electoral rolls.
• The Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 provide for overseas electors to register themselves in the electoral rolls of their respective constituencies on the basis of self-attested copies of their passport and valid visa, and exercise their franchise in person on production of the original passport at the time of voting at the specified polling booth.
• Thus, the rules demand for the physical presence of overseas electors in their respective polling stations in India on the day of polling.
• This causes hardship to the overseas electors. This amendment proposes facilitating an external mode of voting, that is, voting by proxy, whereby such electors can exercise their franchise from their places of residence abroad.

Source:PRS India