India, Jan. 8 -- Ahead of the upcoming municipal elections, junior clerks and junior assistants have allegedly being appointed as presiding officers in violation of the Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines. Employee unions have raised objections and warned that such appointments could disrupt administrative discipline and lead to complications on polling day.

According to the ECI's 'handbook for returning officers 2023', the presiding officer of a polling station is legally and administratively responsible for the conduct of voting. The handbook states that the presiding officer must be from a higher pay scale than other polling personnel, and should preferably be a gazetted officer. In the absence of a gazetted officer, the res...