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Sunday, October 12, 2025
TopicElectoral bonds

Topic: electoral bonds

An electoral bond is a financial instrument for making donations to political parties. According to the Electoral Bond Scheme, 2018, it is a bond issued in the nature of a promissory note, which shall be bearer in character. A bearer instrument is one which does not carry the name of the buyer or payee, no ownership information is recorded and the holder of the instrument (i.e. political party) is presumed to be its owner.

The scheme allows individuals, who are citizens of India, and domestic companies to donate these bonds — issued in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh, and Rs 1 crore — to political parties of their choice. The Supreme Court of India on February 15, 2024, struck down the electoral bonds scheme for anonymous funding to political parties as “unconstitutional”.

Electoral Bonds data by SBI needs different levels of inquiry: Ashok Lavasa

+TFP Ashok Lavasa -
The setting up of a National Election Fund is a suggestion that needs serious consideration but can it eliminate or minimize the use of black money in elections?

Urdu press slams BJP’s ‘negative politics’ over CAA, says it creates psychological pressure on Muslims

Heena Fatima -
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Directly, via proxy, or through subsidiaries — how India’s biggest corporates bought electoral bonds

TCA Sharad Raghavan -
Data made public by the Election Commission lists each company that purchased electoral bonds individually. However, when their underlying links are found, the true picture emerges.

Keep political donations a secret. Disclosure can lead to states victimising corporations

Seshadri Chari -
The tax authorities should also investigate the extent of the use of ‘shell companies’ by corporations and political parties to indulge in corrupt practices.

Curious case of Aurobindo Pharma’s electoral bond purchases & promoter’s arrest in Delhi liquor ‘scam’

Mayank Kumar -
Data shows the company has donated a total of Rs 52 crore via electoral bonds, half of this being contributed after its promoter P Sarath Reddy turned approved in Delhi excise policy case.

Finally some sunlight in electoral bonds matter. Exercise won’t drive funding underground

ThePrint Team -
ThePrint view on the most important issues.

Electoral bonds: Lottery firm charged by ED & infra company raided by IT dept emerge as top 2 donors

Mayank Kumar -
Data uploaded by Election Commission shows Future Gaming & Hotel Services PR contributed Rs 1,368 cr via electoral bonds, and Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd donated Rs 966 cr.

Future Gaming, Megha Engineering, Vedanta among top buyers of electoral bonds, shows SBI data

Amogh Rohmetra -
Data on electoral bonds was submitted to EC by SBI in compliance with deadline set by Supreme Court which had also directed poll panel to make this data public by 15 March.

Papers clueless over Arun Goel’s exit—but TV channels certain ‘Modi averted a nuclear war’

Shailaja Bajpai -
Why did Arun Goel resign from the Election Commission? On the basis of ‘sources’, leading English newspapers came up with multiple choice options for us to pick from.

22,217 electoral bonds bought from April 2019 to 15 February 2024 — SBI’s compliance affidavit in SC

ThePrint Team -
SBI files affidavit saying it has furnished all details of electoral bonds to EC as ordered by SC. Top court had scrapped 7-year-old electoral funding scheme on 15 February.
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