ECI
NEW DELHI: The ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) exercise, with the declared intent of including all genuine electors and weeding out the ineligible ones, will be showcased as a key initiative of the Election Commission (ECI) to strengthen the electoral process, at an international conference to be hosted by the Election Commission here.Nearly 100 delegates from 70 countries will converge for the three-day India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026 from January 21 to 23, to brainstorm various aspects of democracy and electoral management. The ECI, in a curtain-raiser on the event, shared that “an exhibition showcasing the magnitude and complexity of conducting elections in India, along with the recent initiatives taken by the ECI to strengthen the two pillars of elections, preparation of electoral rolls and conduct of elections, will also be held alongside the events”.IICDEM 2026 is poised to be the largest global conference of its kind hosted by India on issues in the electoral domain. Chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, along with election commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, will receive the delegates and flag off the proceedings at the inaugural session on January 21.The agenda includes general and plenary sessions of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) from across the world, besides thematic sessions focused on global electoral issues, model international electoral standards, and innovations and best practices in electoral processes. A total of 36 thematic groups, led by different state/UT chief electoral officers (CEOs) and supported by national and international academic experts, will contribute to in-depth deliberations during the conference. These discussions will also have participation from leading academic institutions including 4 IITs, 6 IIMs, 12 National Law Universities (NLUs) and IIMC.The ECI will hold over 40 bilateral meetings with the EMBs to further discussions and cooperation on various challenges confronting EMBs around the world. The commission will also formally launch ECINET, ECI’s one-stop digital platform for all election-related information and services.The docu-series “India Decides”, highlighting the making of the largest election in the world — the 2024 Lok Sabha elections — will also be showcased on Day 1 of IICDEM-2026.