India, Sept. 12 -- Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) co-founder Jagdeep Chhokar, who was associated with major electoral reforms in the country, died on Friday. He was 81. A retired Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad professor, Chhokar was also a lawyer and engineer who served in the Indian railways.

ADR achieved landmark victories in the courts under Chhokar's leadership. The Supreme Court empowered voters with the right to know the criminal, financial, and educational backgrounds of candidates in the 2002 Union of India vs ADR case. The verdict in the People's Union for Civil Liberties vs Union of India (2013) case introduced the "None of the Above" option on electronic voting machines. In the Lily Thomas case (2013), the ...