One Nation One Election: Does India require a referendum?

ONOE impacts teachers, students, governance, and democratic principles. A single election cycle would ease these pressures

Several years before the One One Nation Election (ONOE) Bill came to light, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) advocated for concurrent three-tier elections to Parliament, state assemblies, and local bodies.

The rationale? It would free up schoolteachers to focus on students rather than election cycles.

This is a compelling argument in favor of ONOE-arguably more so than cost-saving, stability, improved governance, ending policy paralysis, and boosting voter participation. Despite court directives to minimize disruptions to academic schedules and prioritize students' needs, it's often impossible. For instance, in Rajasthan, the gap between assembly elections, typically held in December, and Lok Sabha polls is just a few months-clashing with examination periods when students need their teachers the most.

The dual burden of assembly and Lok Sabha polls is compounded by panchayat and municipal elections, keeping government schoolteachers tied up with updating electoral rolls and manning polling booths.

School infrastructure also gets repurposed for elections, with classrooms converted into polling stations. A single election cycle would significantly ease these pressures on both teachers and students.