In India, the Chief Election Commissioner can be removed from office in the same manner and on the same grounds as which of the following constitutional authorities?

Introduction / Context:
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) is responsible for supervising elections in India and must be independent and impartial. To protect this independence, the Constitution provides a specific process and standard for the removal of the CEC from office. This question asks you to identify which other high constitutional office shares the same stringent removal procedure as the CEC, highlighting how the Constitution safeguards certain key institutions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on the removal procedure and grounds for the Chief Election Commissioner.
• Options include a Supreme Court judge, a High Court Chief Justice, the Comptroller and Auditor-General and the Attorney-General.
• We assume basic awareness that some office-holders have stronger security of tenure than others.
• The question compares the CEC's removal process to that of another office.

Concept / Approach:
Article 324 of the Constitution deals with the Election Commission. It states that the Chief Election Commissioner shall not be removed from office except in like manner and on the like grounds as a judge of the Supreme Court. This means that the CEC can only be removed by a special process of impeachment involving Parliament on grounds such as proved misbehaviour or incapacity, similar to a Supreme Court judge. While the Comptroller and Auditor-General also enjoys strong constitutional protection, the wording in Article 324 explicitly makes the removal standard identical to that of a Supreme Court judge.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Article 324 establishes the Election Commission and mentions the security of tenure of the CEC. Step 2: Note the phrase that the CEC shall not be removed from office except in the same manner and on the same grounds as a judge of the Supreme Court. Step 3: Understand that this requires a special majority in both Houses of Parliament on grounds such as proved misbehaviour or incapacity. Step 4: Compare this directly with the options and identify “A Judge of the Supreme Court of India” as the matching office. Step 5: Therefore, select the option referring to a Supreme Court judge.

Verification / Alternative check:
An alternative check is to recall that in typical polity notes, the removal of the CEC is always described as being “in the same manner as a Supreme Court judge,” emphasizing the very high threshold. Many exam-preparation books list removal procedures for different offices in a comparative table, where the CEC and Supreme Court judge are explicitly paired. This repeated association across multiple learning resources confirms that the correct comparison is with a Supreme Court judge.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The Chief Justice of a High Court: Though also a high judicial office, the Constitution does not state that the CEC is removed in the same way as a High Court Chief Justice.
The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India: The CAG has a similar level of security of tenure, but Article 324 explicitly compares the CEC's removal to that of a Supreme Court judge, not the CAG.

The Attorney-General of India: The Attorney-General holds office during the pleasure of the President and does not enjoy the same stringent removal procedure as a Supreme Court judge or the CEC.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often confuse which officers enjoy removal protection similar to Supreme Court judges, especially between the CAG, CEC and judges themselves. Another common mistake is to pick the Comptroller and Auditor-General by intuition, assuming all watchdog institutions share identical procedures. The key is to remember the exact constitutional wording linking the CEC specifically to the removal procedure of a Supreme Court judge.

Final Answer:
The Chief Election Commissioner of India can be removed in the same manner and on the same grounds as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India.