Round Table Discussion on 10.06.2026: Challenges faced within the Election Commission and Electoral System in India

On June 10th 2026, the Heidelberg Centre South Asia (HCSA) at Heidelberg University hosted a visiting delegation from India and Berlin, along with delegates from Heidelberg University, for a round-table discussion on India’s electoral system at the South Asia Institute.

The delegation of field level electoral officers was led by Smt. Nandita Gupta, Chief Electoral Commissioner of Himachal Pradesh, and included Mr. Ashwin Bhaskaran, Counsellor and Head of Political Wing, Indian Embassy in Berlin to Heidelberg University. Heidelberg University’s participating delegates comprised Professor Dr. Bernd Grzesick, the Chair of Pubic Law, International Public Law, General Political Science, and Philosophy of Law; Professor Dr. Reimut Zohlnhoefer, the Chair of Political Science; and Professor Dr. Christoph Vanberg, Professor at the Alfred Weber School of Economics. Dr. Suboor Bakht, Director and Representative of HCSA, and Professor Dr. Rahul Mukherji, Chair Professor in Modern Politics of South Asia, South Asia Institute, moderated the event.

The session began with a welcome address and participant introductions, followed by in-depth deliberations on India’s subnational and national issues, emerging dynamics, and key challenges of conducting elections. Mr. Munshi Sharma, Himachal Pradesh’s State Training Nodal Officer, and Smt. Nandita Gupta provided a comprehensive overview of voter registration processes and the evolving contours of India’s electoral framework, focusing on the use of postal ballots, the EVM, VVPAT system, complementing India’s IT and digital transformation.

The programme concluded with a brief presentation by Dr. Suboor Bakht on the academic opportunities offered by Heidelberg University as the centre of a vibrant research ecosystem.