CEC Gyanesh Kumar calls upon Academia to strengthen informed democratic participation

Election Commission CEC Gyanesh Kumar calls upon Academia to strengthen informed democratic participation प्रव तथ: 17 AUG 2026 7:41PM by PIB Delhi

1. Election Commission of India (ECI) launched Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELC 2.0) during a conference on the “Electoral Literacy Clubs and ECINet” held at Gyan Bhawan, Patna today. Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar addressed the conference and said that educational institutions can play in strengthening trust in electoral processes, strengthening electoral literacy and promoting informed democratic participation.

2. CEC Gyanesh Kumar in his opening address stated how elections in India are held strictly as per the constitution of India, law and instructions issued by ECI and is conducted transparently under the concurrent audit of political parties, candidates or their representatives at all stages. He underlined the need to familiarise students and young electors with India’s electoral system, democratic values, electoral registration, polling and counting processes, and the role and functioning of the Election Commission of India.

3. Emphasising the importance of engaging young citizens, CEC Shri Gyanesh Kumar stated that their trust and informed participation in the electoral process is an investment in the future of democracy.

4. The new logo of the Electoral Literacy Club was also unveiled on the occasion. The new tagline, “Learn Democracy. Lead Democracy.”, reinforces the objective of encouraging young and first-time voters not only to understand democracy but also to participate meaningfully and contribute to its progress.

5. Earlier in the programme, CEC Shri Gyanesh Kumar held a meeting with Booth Level Officers

(BLOs) at the Rajgir International Convention Centre, Nalanda. During his two-day visit to Bihar on 16–17 August 2026, the CEC also undertook field visits in Madhubani, Vaishali and Nalanda.

6. ELC 2.0 reimagines Electoral Literacy Clubs as structured, visible and digitally enabled platforms across schools, colleges and universities. The initiative envisages continuous, year-round activities to promote electoral literacy among young citizens and electoral awareness within their families, educational institutions and communities.

7. ELC 2.0 will leverage the extensive ECINet digital platform which provides all election related services from roll to poll at the click of a button. A streamlined pan-India network of ELCs will be cultivated using a dedicated ELC portal on ECINet.

8. The initiative assumes significance in view of India’s extensive educational ecosystem, comprising approximately 15 lakh schools with nearly 25 crore students and over one crore teachers. The higher education sector comprises nearly 1,500 universities and around 70,000 educational institutions, with an estimated enrolment of 4.33 crore students.

9. Through this extensive institutional network, ELC 2.0 seeks to promote factual and experiential electoral education, enhance awareness about the transparency, integrity and credibility of India’s electoral system, and encourage young citizens to become ambassadors of informed democratic participation.10. The ELCs will also serve as platforms for disseminating information about different stages of the electoral process, including electoral registration, polling and counting, along with the ECINET App and other key initiatives of the Election Commission of India.

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