A manifesto is a document that outlines a political party's policies and promises to the electorate. It is typically released during an election campaign and serves as a way for the party to communicate its vision for the future and its plans for governance.

Manifestos in Indian politics typically focus on outlining the party's policies and promises, as well as its ideology and principles. They do not typically include a detailed plan for governance, as this is left to the party's elected representatives to develop.

Manifestos play a crucial role in Indian elections by providing voters with information about the party's policies and promises, helping them to make informed decisions about which party to vote for, and holding the party accountable for its promises after the election.

The Indian National Congress was the first party to release a manifesto in Indian politics. Its first manifesto was released in 1936 and outlined the party's vision for a free and independent India.

Manifestos are not legally binding documents in Indian law. This means that parties are not legally required to fulfill the promises made in their manifestos. However, manifestos do play an important role in holding parties accountable for their promises, as voters can use them to evaluate the party's performance after the election.

Manifestos in Indian politics are often criticized for being unrealistic and impractical, too vague and general, and for being used to mislead voters. However, they are not typically criticized for being too long and detailed.

There are a number of challenges in implementing the promises made in manifestos, including lack of financial resources, political opposition, bureaucratic hurdles, and the changing political landscape.

The Election Commission of India is responsible for ensuring that manifestos comply with the law, can reject manifestos that it deems to be misleading or unrealistic, and can order parties to revise their manifestos if they contain false or misleading information.

Voters can hold parties accountable for the promises made in their manifestos by voting for the party in the next election, by writing letters to the party leader, by organizing protests and demonstrations, and by using social media to raise awareness of the party's broken promises.

A number of reforms have been proposed to improve the quality of manifestos in Indian politics, including making manifestos legally binding, requiring parties to submit their manifestos to the Election Commission of India for review, and setting a limit on the length of manifestos.

Manifestos are likely to remain an important part of Indian elections, but their format and content may change in the future. For example, manifestos may become more concise and focused on a smaller number of key issues, or they may be delivered in new formats such as videos or infographics.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first manifesto in 1980.

The Indian National Congress promised to implement the 'Right to Work' program in its manifesto.

The Aam Aadmi Party promised to provide free and compulsory education up to the age of 18 in its manifesto.

The Aam Aadmi Party promised to implement the 'Universal Basic Income' scheme in its manifesto.