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Calling them the “eyes and ears” of the Commission, the CEC urged the observers to strictly follow the election laws, guidelines, and ethical standards
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar (PTI/File)
In the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday held a key briefing session for Central Observers, during which Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar described them as the “beacons of democracy”.
The briefing was organised at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi.
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It was attended by 425 officers, including 287 from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), 58 from the Indian Police Service (IPS), and 80 officers from the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Indian Railways Accounts Service (IRAS), Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) and other services.
The observers, who will be deployed across Bihar for the forthcoming Assembly elections and in select constituencies for bye-elections in other states, were briefed by Kumar along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
Calling them the “eyes and ears” of the Commission, the CEC urged the observers to strictly follow the election laws, guidelines, and ethical standards. He asked them to provide ground-level feedback and ensure impartial enforcement of the rules.
Observers were also directed to stay fully accessible to political parties, candidates, and voters, to help address grievances and build trust in the electoral process.
They were further instructed to visit polling stations and ensure proper implementation of the Commission’s recent initiatives aimed at voter convenience.
Central Observers are appointed by the ECI under the powers granted by Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Their role is to support the Commission in conducting free, fair, and peaceful elections, and to monitor the electoral process closely at the ground level.
The term of the 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly ends on November 22. Election dates are expected to be announced soon, with polls likely to be held in multiple phases starting later this month.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list in Bihar was recently completed, with the final electoral roll published on September 30 listing nearly 7.42 crore voters.
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
October 03, 2025, 16:54 IST
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