According to the Constitution of India, any citizen of India who is not less than 18 years of age on the date of filing nomination is eligible to contest in the Lok Sabha elections.

As per the Election Commission of India, the last date for filing nominations for the Lok Sabha elections is 14 days before the date of polling.

Only the candidate's authorized representative, who is a registered voter in the constituency, can file a nomination on behalf of the candidate.

Candidates are required to submit passport-size photographs, educational certificates, income tax returns, and other relevant documents along with the nomination form.

The Election Commission is responsible for scrutinizing the nomination forms, allotting symbols to the candidates, conducting the election, and declaring the results.

If a candidate's nomination is rejected, the candidate can appeal to the High Court within 10 days of the rejection.

Independent candidates are allotted a symbol by the Election Commission from a list of free symbols.

The nomination process serves multiple purposes, including selecting the candidates who will contest the election, ensuring that only eligible candidates contest the election, and preventing bogus candidates from contesting the election.

The nomination process is significant in a democracy as it ensures that the people have a choice of candidates to vote for, prevents the government from rigging the election, and promotes transparency and accountability in the electoral process.

The nomination process faces challenges such as bogus candidates filing nominations, lack of transparency in the process, and influence of money and muscle power.

Measures that can be taken to improve the nomination process include stricter scrutiny of nomination forms, use of technology to make the process more transparent, and curbing the influence of money and muscle power.

Public participation in the nomination process is important as it ensures that the candidates are accountable to the people, promotes transparency and accountability in the electoral process, and helps in identifying and eliminating bogus candidates.

Voters have the right to object to the nomination of a candidate, file a complaint against a candidate, and seek information about the candidates.

The media plays a crucial role in the nomination process by reporting on the process, scrutinizing the candidates and their backgrounds, and educating the public about the nomination process.