ECI’s New Initiatives

Why in News?

Recently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken 28 significant initiatives to streamline and improve the electoral process.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is an autonomous constitutional body responsible for administering election processes at the Union and State levels.

• Engagement with all Stakeholders
  • Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), District Election Officers (DEOs), and Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) have held all-party meetings nationwide.
  • ECI Meetings with Party Leadership – The Commission is regularly interacting with Presidents and senior leaders of National and State parties.
• Strengthening & cleanup of Electoral Systems
  • Delisting of inactive Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs).

Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) are political entities registered with the ECI under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, but haven't yet achieved the status of either a recognized State or National party.

• • Identification and mapping of roles for 28 Stakeholders.
  • Photo ID Cards for Booth-level officers (BROs).
  • Checking and Verification of EVM microcontrollers.
  • National Conference with Legal Counsels & CEOs.
• Enhancing use of Technology
  • One-stop Digital Platform – ECINET for the electors and their other stakeholders, including the voters, election officials and political parties.
  • 100% Webcasting at Polling Stations.
  • Real-time Voter Turnout Updates.
  • Digital Index Cards & Reports – To promote accessibility of election-related data at the constituency level for all stakeholders.
  • Mandatory VVPAT Count for mismatches.
• Purity of Electoral Rolls
  • Special Intensive Revision in Bihar – To ensure no eligible voter is left out and no ineligible names remain.
  • Special Summary Revision before By-elections
  • Linking Death Registration Data.
  • Unique EPIC Numbers – Same EPIC numbers for different persons eliminated across the country.
  • Faster EPIC Delivery – Electors will also receive notifications via SMS at each stage.
• Ease of Voting
  • Mobile Deposit Facility at Polling Stations.
  • Polling Station Limit of 1,200 Voters.
  • Clearer Voter Information Slip (VIS) – Serial and part numbers displayed prominently.
  • Candidate Booths allowed just outside 100 meters of the Polling station.
• Capacity building
  • Expanded Training at IIIDEM for BLOs and Supervisors, New Delhi.
  • Enhanced Remuneration for Officials.
  • Training Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by Political Parties – BLAs from Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry were trained in various aspects of supporting the process of preparing electoral rolls, including the use of the appeals provision under the RP Act 1950.
  • Training for Media & Communication Officers
  • Training Police Officers – To reinforce law-and-order preparedness during elections.
  • Strengthening Internal Systems – Biometric attendance, e-Office migration, and relocation to IIIDEM for efficiency and better utilisation of resources.

Reference

PIB| ECI’s New Initiatives