What Happened
- The Election Commission of India announced the election schedule for General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, along with bye-elections in six states, on March 15, 2026.
- Simultaneously, the ECI issued a directive that no political advertisement shall be released on any electronic medium — television, radio, audio-visual displays at public places, e-papers, bulk SMS/voice messages, internet-based media, or social media platforms — without prior clearance from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC).
- This is described as a measure to prevent the spread of falsified and AI-generated content designed to mislead voters.
- At the district level, MCMCs handle certification for individual candidates; at the state level, MCMCs handle certification for recognised political parties headquartered in that state or UT.
- Social media spending by political parties must be fully disclosed in post-election expenditure accounts filed within 75 days of election conclusion.
Static Topic Bridges
The MCMC Framework — Composition, Jurisdiction, and Powers
The Media Certification and Monitoring Committee is constituted by the Election Commission of India at both the district and state levels at the time of election announcement. At the district level, the MCMC is typically chaired by the District Magistrate or a senior revenue officer and includes representatives from the district broadcasting authority and the press. At the state level, it is chaired by the Chief Electoral Officer or an officer of equivalent rank.
The MCMC's primary functions are: (1) pre-certifying political advertisements before release on electronic and print media; (2) monitoring broadcast content during the election period for violations of the Model Code of Conduct; (3) identifying instances of paid news and initiating action under the RP Act 1951 and the relevant state laws; and (4) monitoring campaign expenditure on digital platforms.
- District MCMC: certifies candidates' advertisements, handles individual-level complaints about paid news
- State MCMC: certifies advertisements of recognised political parties; reviews state-wide broadcast monitoring
- Paid news definition (ECI): any news item or analysis in print or electronic media that appears to be genuine editorial content but is actually a paid advertisement favourable to a candidate or party without disclosure
- Action against paid news: MCMCs can recommend additional entries in a candidate's election expenditure account, which may trigger election disqualification if limits are exceeded
- New responsibility added (2026): monitoring of AI-generated content and deepfakes in political advertising
Connection to this news: As elections are announced for five major states simultaneously — including high-stakes Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, and Assam — the MCMC framework is activated across these states, requiring all political advertising to pass through a certification gateway before going live on any platform.
Election Announcement and the Model Code of Conduct
The Model Code of Conduct comes into force immediately upon the announcement of the election schedule by the Election Commission. Once the MCC is in force, governments — both at the Centre and in the poll-bound states — are restricted from announcing new schemes, making transfers of officials, using state machinery for campaigning, or misusing government media. The MCC enforcement period ends with the completion of the election process (i.e., after the results are declared and any bye-election disputes are settled).
The origin of the MCC lies in the 1960 Kerala State Assembly elections, when the state administration prepared a code of conduct for political actors. The ECI extended it nationally from the 1962 Lok Sabha elections. Over the decades, the MCC has been progressively strengthened, and the Supreme Court in Union of India v. Association for Democratic Reforms (2002) upheld the ECI's authority to issue binding directions in matters not expressly covered by legislation, citing Article 324.
- MCC activation: immediately upon election schedule announcement by ECI
- Duration: from announcement date to election completion (results + resolution of disputes)
- Origin: Kerala Assembly elections, 1960; national from 1962 Lok Sabha elections
- Legal status: MCC is not a statute — it derives force from ECI's Article 324 powers and moral authority
- Key MCC restrictions on government: no new schemes, no major policy announcements, no use of state machinery for campaigns
- Constitutional peg: Article 324 — ECI has superintendence, direction, and control of elections
- Key SC case: Union of India v. Association for Democratic Reforms (2002) — ECI can fill gaps in electoral law
Connection to this news: The MCC is now operative in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal; the MCMC directive on political advertising pre-certification is a component of MCC enforcement now applied comprehensively to digital platforms.
Digital Electoral Advertising and Transparency Obligations
The expansion of pre-certification requirements to internet-based platforms and social media reflects a broader global trend of increasing regulatory scrutiny of political advertising in digital spaces. In India, the legal framework for digital campaign finance is still evolving — the Representation of the People Act, 1951 was drafted in a pre-internet era and contains no express provisions for online advertising expenditure.
The ECI has addressed this gap through administrative directions: the 2014 Social Media Guidelines, the 2019 Voluntary Code of Ethics signed by social media platforms through IAMAI, and now the mandatory pre-certification regime. The 2026 directive goes further than all predecessors in two ways: (1) it requires affirmative prior clearance rather than retrospective disclosure; and (2) it requires candidates to declare their social media accounts in the nomination affidavit itself, creating a formal accountability link between the candidate's digital presence and the election record.
- RP Act 1951 Section 77: candidates must maintain accounts of all election expenses; ceiling prescribed by ECI
- Candidate expenditure limit (state assembly, general): varies from ₹28 lakh to ₹40 lakh per constituency depending on state category
- IAMAI Voluntary Code (2019): platforms commit to political ad transparency library, 3-hour response to ECI requests
- 2026 new requirements: mandatory pre-certification (not merely disclosure) + social media account declaration in nomination affidavit
- Digital expenditure filing: full account of social media spending due within 75 days of election conclusion
- AI/deepfake monitoring: MCMCs specifically tasked to identify and flag AI-generated political content
Connection to this news: The nomination affidavit social media disclosure requirement is a structural innovation — by linking a candidate's digital identity to the official election record, the ECI creates a foundation for attributing and monitoring campaign activity on social media to specific candidates.
Key Facts & Data
- ECI announced elections for Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal on March 15, 2026, plus bye-elections in six states
- MCMC pre-certification is now mandatory for all political ads on: TV, radio, e-papers, AV displays, bulk SMS, internet-based media, and social media
- District MCMCs certify candidate-level advertisements; state MCMCs certify party-level advertisements
- Candidates must declare authentic social media accounts in the nomination affidavit
- Digital campaign expenditure accounts must be filed within 75 days of election conclusion
- Model Code of Conduct operative from March 15, 2026 in all five poll-bound states
- MCC origin: Kerala 1960 state elections; national from 1962 Lok Sabha
- Article 324: constitutional basis for ECI's plenary election oversight powers
- RP Act 1951 Section 77: statutory basis for candidate expenditure accounts