Abstract
Arguments about electoral reform in India, unlike those in Japan, mostly focus on the topics such as how to secure the fairness and the transparency in elections, how to eliminate political corruption, and so on. Since 1970s, in India, a number of government agencies and government-appointed committees have presented a variety of proposals for electoral reform. However, because most of the arguments about electoral reform have been influenced by the necessity of social policies and the reality of party politics, such proposals rarely have been reflected in actual policy decisions. On the other hand, as a result of the increasing awareness of the matter of “governance,” there has been new trend in the arguments about electoral reform, i.e. election monitoring activities by civic groups. These activities by civic groups will be more and more important for electoral reform in India.
