<h5>What are electoral bonds?</h5><p>Electoral bonds are unique tickets or certificates that citizens or organisations can purchase and use to support their favourite political parties in the country. It allows adults to support their favourite political party during elections. These bonds can be obtained from the State Bank of India (SBI).</p><p>People can buy them to donate to a political party. People can give the bond to the political parties. There is also no limit to the number of electoral bonds someone can purchase. Political parties must encash them within a specific time frame. The donor's name and other related details are not mentioned on the bond. So, the donors are anonymous.</p><h5>Can all parties receive electoral bond funding?</h5><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/electoral-bond-what-are-they%2FElectoral%20Bond%20Sample.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=81fb46c0-1f1d-400d-b138-4a0c27135958&amp;_gl=1*10g8xk*_ga*MTIzNjQ0ODg2NS4xNjgzNzk5MjMy*_ga_CW55HF8NVT*MTY5OTM0Mjc2My4zMDAuMS4xNjk5MzQzNzE2LjQ3LjAuMA.."><figcaption>Sample of an electoral bond. Photo by The Hindu.</figcaption></figure><p>Political parties that received at least 1% of the votes cast in the most recent Lok Sabha or State Assembly elections and are registered under the Representation of the People Act (RPA) can receive the electoral bonds. The bonds may only be encashed by the political party using a bank account.</p><p>The electoral bonds are valid for 15 days from the date of issue. No payments are made after the validity period has expired. Political parties can use the money from these bonds for things like advertising, event planning, etc.</p><h5>Can electoral bonds be purchased throughout the year?</h5><p>The bonds are made available for purchase for certain periods in January, April, July, and October every year. In a general election year, the central government can allow these bonds to be sold for an additional 30-day term.</p><p>Recently, the government announced electoral bond sales from 6th November 2023 to 20th November 2023. The Finance Ministry has announced the latest sale at a time when there are votes scheduled in five states (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram).</p><p>Some petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court (SC) of India regarding the electoral bonds.</p><h5>What petitions have been filed?</h5><p>The anonymity of the purchaser of electoral bonds has become a major concern. Various petitions have been filed with the SC since the electoral bond scheme was created. The case is being heard by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud.</p><p>The lawyer representing the government has said that the person or organisation purchasing the bond should be kept anonymous. This is done to maintain the donor’s privacy and prevent any attacks from members of other political parties. The petitioners have said that the public has a right to know about the donors and the donations received.</p><p>Another petition talked about how much money a company can donate to a political party or which companies can donate to a political party. The SC has reserved its ruling on the subject and has asked the election commission to provide a report on the donations received by the political parties till 30th September.</p>

Electoral bonds are used to donate money to various political parties.

Electoral Bond: What Are They?

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Electoral Bond: What Are They?

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