In 1999, Prof. Chhokar joined with 11 professors and students to launch ADR with the mission of promoting electoral transparency. Under his leadership, ADR petitioned the Supreme Court to mandate that all election candidates file affidavits disclosing criminal records, assets, liabilities, and educational qualifications. These landmark judgments now form the foundation of India’s candidate-disclosure regime, empowering more than 900 million voters to make informed choices.
Prof. Chhokar championed six major electoral reforms: full disclosure of candidates’ criminal and financial backgrounds; disqualification of convicted MPs and MLAs; the introduction of the ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option on ballots; public scrutiny of political parties’ tax returns; educational qualification reporting; and the challenge to the opaque electoral bonds scheme. His successful petition against electoral bonds led to ongoing debates in parliament about curbing untraceable political funding.
Retired Major General Anil Verma, ADR’s current chief, hailed Prof. Chhokar’s contributions as “milestones in the country’s electoral history,” while political analyst Yogendra Yadav noted, “His vision and persistence transformed the way Indian democracy functions.” In a testament to his lifelong commitment to justice, Prof. Chhokar studied law after retirement to personally navigate complex legal petitions and bolster ADR’s litigation strategy.
Prof. Chhokar’s pioneering work has redefined accountability in Indian politics. His belief that leaders’ “character sheets” should mirror corporate balance sheets continues to drive ADR’s mission. As the nation mourns, ADR and India’s democratic institutions honor his enduring legacy by carrying forward efforts to make India’s elections fairer, more transparent, and truly by the people, for the people.
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