Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)

Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) emerges from the belief that strengthening democracy requires transparency, accountability, and active citizen participation. Established by academicians and reform-minded individuals, ADR works towards improving governance and building a political system that upholds integrity and fairness. Its mission is to improve governance and strengthen democracy through continuous engagement in electoral and political reforms. ADR focuses on reducing corruption and criminalization in politics, empowering citizens with information about candidates and parties, and fostering accountability and inner-party democracy.

Major Interventions:

Election Watch is ADR’s flagship program. It analyses the criminal, financial, and educational backgrounds of candidates contesting elections. By disseminating this information widely through reports, media, and online platforms, ADR enables voters to make informed choices. Election Watch also partners with state chapters under the National Election Watch banner to maximize outreach across the country.

Political Party Watch examines the functioning and finances of political parties. It analyses income tax returns, donation reports, and election expenditure statements to highlight issues of transparency and accountability. By making these findings public, ADR promotes the demand for cleaner political practices and greater internal democracy within parties.

Advocacy and Voter Awareness: ADR carries out extensive advocacy campaigns to spread awareness about electoral reforms and informed voting. It organizes workshops, seminars, rallies, and cultural events in partnership with civil society, educational institutions, and state election chapters. Campaigns such as “Mera Vote Mera Desh” emphasize ethical voting, participation of youth, and rejection of money and muscle power in elections.

Strategic Litigation: Through a series of Public Interest Litigations, it addresses issues such as disclosure of candidate backgrounds, regulation of political funding, electoral bonds, and transparency in election processes.