Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi has ordered elections to the artiste constituency of the Akademi. He has appointed Govind G Mishra, former chief secretary of Rajasthan, as the election officer and Shailender Mishra, former director general of police, Madhya Pradesh, as additional election officer.

An official spokesperson said the election process will be over by April.

This is the first time elections are being held to the Akademi under its amended Memorandum of Association. The government had notified the revised memorandum on January 8.

The government had taken over the management of the Akademi some two years ago following complaints of mismanagement.

The amended Memorandum of Association has provisions to check frauds and mismanagement of the Akademi. As per the Lalit Kala Akademi election rules, 1999, within six months, prior to the completion of the term of the members elected to the General Council from the artists constituencies, or as soon as it becomes otherwise necessary, the secretary of the Akademi shall update the state and Union territory-wise list of names, addresses and unique identification numbers (ID numbers) of artists who have exhibited in any of the national exhibitions of art or international exhibitions of Akademi since its inception.

Once the process of registration of voters is complete, the final list of registered `voters' and `eligible artists' will be sent to the election officer for delimitation of the names and addresses of artists into constituencies.

Once this is done the information is advertised in each constituency. Then, the election rules, nomination forms and information advertised is sent to all state akademies, zonal cultural centres and art organisations in the constituency.