New Delhi, Oct. 22 -- In August 2023, the Election Commission of India (ECI) compiled and reissued consolidated instructions for "Green Elections" ahead of Assembly polls in five states. These guidelines reiterated the ECI's long-standing appeals to political parties and candidates to minimise their environmental impact during campaigns.

Laying the ground rules, the then chief election commissioner (CEC), Rajiv Kumar, said: "India has now set a new global benchmark for holding environmentally sustainable elections with low carbon footprint.''

What the CEC preached then was picked up by a fellow civil servant, Heera Lal Patel, a UP cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, who can be credited with initiating India's first Green ...