Photo credit: IANS
NEW DELHI: Chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while describing pure electoral rolls as bedrock of democracy, on Saturday said the success of special intensive revision (SIR) process in Bihar was evident from the zero appeals filed against the final roll and the record-breaking 67% turnout recorded in the state assembly election held thereafter.In a televised address to the nation on the eve of National Voters Day, Kumar said the commission, “in its renewed and dynamic form, has not only ensured the accuracy and integrity of electoral rolls and made the voting process more accessible to every elector, but also effectively addressed electoral challenges, thereby strengthening every stage of the electoral process to make it more robust, transparent, and trustworthy”.
While exhorting the young electors to vote without fail, Kumar also called upon them to lead the fight against misinformation, disinformation, and false narratives. “For this, it is essential that they remain fully informed about electoral processes and the various initiatives of the Election Commission, and actively disseminate accurate information among their friends, families, and communities,” he underlined. Mentioning the initiatives by young voters to raise electoral awareness, be it in the Attappady tribal region of Palakkad, Kerala or in Banamalipur, Khurda, Odisha, Kumar announced that EC will be launching a dedicated, youth-centric programme this year to provide young citizens with a clear understanding of the electoral process and connect them directly with the Commission’s initiatives.Outlining the nearly 30 initiatives undertaken by the EC in the past year, the CEC said the prominent ones, apart from SIR currently going on smoothly in 12 other states/UTs, include capacity building of election officials through intensive training of 5,000 booth level officers (BLOs) and BLO supervisors at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi; and the launch of the ECINet App that brings over 40 different EC apps on a single digital platform. Also on the list were voter-facilitation measures like introduction of mobile deposit facilities at polling stations and capping the number of electors per polling station at 1,200.Highlighting the growing presence of EC on the world electoral map, Kumar said India’s strong and transparent electoral system has drawn global attention. “The entrustment of the chairship of International IDEA to India is a matter of immense pride for us all,” he said while drawing attention to the India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) successfully held here from Jan 21 to 23, with the participation of representatives of election management bodies (EMBs) and ambassadors from over 70 countries.
