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The 12th National Voters’ Day was celebrated across the country today on January 25, 2021. In the national function held at New Delhi, Hon’ble Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu’s message as the Chief Guest on the occasion was delivered virtually. In his message, he appreciated the Election Commission for its consistent efforts to improve voter turnout and also enhance the integrity of the election process. He complimented the awardees being recognized today for their commendable performance in the last elections. Former Chief Election Commissioners Shri Navin Chawla and Shri Sunil Arora, senior representatives from recognised political parties namely AITC, BSP, BJP, CPI, INC, National People’s Party; National Icons and recipients of ECI’s best electoral practices awards attended today’s event. Chief Election Commissioner, Shri Sushil Chandra reiterated Commission’s determination to make elections more inclusive, accessible and participative. He said the theme of this year’s NVD has been specifically chosen accordingly. Shri Chandra said ECI has made tremendous efforts in two directions, one to increase and facilitate registration of voters and second to make polling stations more conducive, comfortable and accessible. He pointed out that ECI has made consistent efforts and has gone that extra mile to empower and facilitate the participation of senior citizens and persons with disabilities. The Commission has brought the polling booth to the doorstep of those who found it difficult to go to the polling booth to cast their vote by offering them the option of postal ballot, he said. CEC expressed his appreciation for all field functionaries, booth level officials, security personnel and members of CAPF who performed their duties during the challenging times of the pandemic and did not let the elections suffer in any manner. Union Minister for Law and Justice, Shri Kiren Rijiju graced the occasion as the Guest of Honor. Shri Rijiju said that every voter should value their right to vote and realize that it's a privilege to be a voter in the largest democracy in the world. He added that the foundation of a successful democracy is laid on sound electoral processes. He highlighted the latest electoral reforms which facilitate registration for young eligible citizens four times a year now. Recognising the need for independence of constitutional authorities, the Union Minister stressed upon the need for coordinated functioning without compromising their independence. Shri Rijiju suggested that ECI could also begin the practice of posthumous awards to honour polling personnel who sacrifice their lives while performing election duties. In his remarks Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar noted that the tradition of democracy and democratic practices are deep-rooted in India. He said the significant development of creating ECI as a constitutional body, one day before adopting the Constitution of India, reminds us of the commitment of our founding fathers to the spirit of democracy and celebrating the resolve of its citizens. Shri Kumar reiterated that ECI is committed to providing a level playing field to all candidates and political parties so that voters can participate without fear or favour. He said that with the Election Commission of India having several reform plans at various stages of actualization, the future of elections is indeed filled with dynamic possibilities, especially through enhanced use of Information Technology across electoral processes and for welfare of voters. Election Commissioner Shri Anup Chandra Pandey welcomed the august gathering of dignitaries and awardees to the national celebration of the 12th National Voters' Day. The Election Commission of India strives relentlessly in its endeavour to ensure free, fair, participative, inclusive, and accessible elections in the world's largest democracy. He added that NVD celebrations every year reminds us of the constitutional obligation of the commission based on the premise of No Voter to be Left Behind. He pointed out that NVD 2022 marks 70 successful years of elections in India. On this occasion, the Commission conferred the National Awards for the Best Electoral Practices to Officers for their outstanding performance in the conduct of elections in different spheres. In addition, awards were also conferred on Govt. Departments and Media Houses for their outstanding contribution in the field of voter awareness and outreach. The Election Commission of India launched a publication ‘Leap of Faith: Journey of Indian Elections’. The book narrates India's electoral history and the growth of representative and electoral principles in India as it evolved from the nineteenth to twenty first century. The book focuses on the Election Commission of India’s persistent efforts to make the elections genuinely reflective of people’s verdict. Another Publication ‘Pledging to Vote – A decadal Journey of The National Voters’ Day in India’ was also released. The book presents the journey of National Voters’ Day celebrations by ECI from Diamond Jubilee celebration onwards. It includes addresses of the dignitaries who gave the occasion as the Chief Guest, speeches of Chief Election Commissioners, Messages, Curtain Raisers, Press Note and the National Award Winners over the years. Link to the e-book: https://eci.gov.in/files/file/13976-pledging-to-vote-a-decadal-journey-ofthe-national-voters’-day-in-india/ A national voter awareness contest- ‘My Vote is my Future- Power of One Vote’ was also launched to reiterate the importance of every vote through creative expression for the ongoing Assembly Elections 2022. With a host of categories like Song, Slogan, Quiz, Video Making and Poster Design, the contest will be open to all and participants will be able to send their entries till 15 March 2022. The winners shall be presented with exciting cash prizes and accolades. For more information, visit: https://ecisveep.nic.in/contest/ A multimedia exhibition on various initiatives by the Commission was also displayed during the function. The exhibition showcased recent electoral reforms, information on EVM-VVPAT, international experiences, knowledgesharing and initiatives by ECI to make elections more inclusive, accessible, participative and COVID safe. Various IT initiatives like KYC app, cVigil app, etc. for an informed and vigilant voter were also displayed. During the function, five newly enrolled voters from Delhi were also felicitated and handed over their Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC). National Voters’ Day has been celebrated all over the country on January 25 every year since 2011 to mark the Foundation day of the Election Commission of India, which was established on this day in the year 1950. The main purpose of the NVD celebration is to highlight the importance of each vote in a democracy; encourage, facilitate and maximize the enrollment of new voters and also enhance participation of voters.

11th National Voters’ Day was celebrated across the country today on January 25, 2021 with the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind gracing the national level event held at New Delhi in a virtual, online mode. Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Law & Justice, Communications and Electronics and Information Technology graced the event as the Guest of Honour. The Chief Election Commissioner Shri Sunil Arora, Election Commissioners Shri Sushil Chandra, Shri Rajiv Kumar, and Secretary General Shri Umesh Sinha received the dignitaries on the occasion. This year, due to COVID-19, the NVD celebrations all over the country would be a combination of both physical and virtual events. The theme for NVD 2021 is ‘Making Our Voters Empowered, Vigilant, Safe and Informed.’ This is a reiteration of the commitment of Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct COVID-safe elections, as well as to make each voter informed, ethical and vigilant. In his address, President Sh. Ram Nath Kovind said that we should always respect the valuable right to vote. The right to vote is not a simple right; people around the world have struggled a lot for this. Since independence, our Constitution has given equal voting rights to all citizens without any discrimination on the basis of merit, religion, race, caste. For this, we are indebted to the makers of our Constitution. The President said that the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, considered the right to vote as paramount. Therefore, it is the responsibility of all of us, especially our youth, who get the right to vote for the first time, to exercise their franchise with the utmost sincerity and inspire others too to do so. Praising the Election Commission of India for conducting successful and safe elections in Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, the President said that it is an extraordinary achievement of our democracy. He was happy to note that the Election Commission has taken a number of innovative and timely measures to conduct smooth, inclusive and safe elections. Guest of Honour, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad hailed the profound vision of India’s founding fathers who, despite the overwhelming odds against them, created a framework that would empower every single Indian. Speaking about the launch of digital voter cards, he appreciated the IT efforts of the Election Commission. He said that the officers of the Election Commission and civil and police administrations have played a vital role in ensuring free, fair, and peaceful election during challenging times of COVID-19. Chief Election Commissioner, Shri Sunil Arora reiterated the Commission’s determination in conducting safe and secure elections, which was lauded by democracies across the world. Shri Arora took note of how the tireless efforts of the election machinery ensured that the facility of Postal Ballot was extended to Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens above the age of 80 years, and those quarantined due to COVID-19; effectively ensuring that no voter is left behind. As the Commission prepares for upcoming elections in four States and one Union Territory in 2021, Shri Arora emphasized the importance of the commitment towards redefining election management in a pandemic. In his remarks Election Commissioner Shri Sushil Chandra said that the 11th NVD is being celebrated with a view to enhance electoral participation of voters especially the new voters of the country and empower them as informed, ethical and vigilant voter. He said elections in India are a gigantic exercise conducted under superintendence, direction and control of the Commission. The exercise has its own challenges in terms of sheer scale, size, diversity and complexity besides logistics, aiming for free, fair and transparent elections. Timelines demand strict compliance with little room for any delays and mistakes. That is what makes our elections sacrosanct and model for others. Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar welcomed the august gathering of dignitaries and awardees to the national celebration of 11th National Voters' Day. His remarks also highlighted the scale and vastness of Indian elections. He said that despite the complexity of Indian elections, they are conducted meticulously, on schedule. He especially welcomed women voters, Persons with Disability, and Senior Citizens on the occasion. Two unique digital initiatives were unveiled today. The Commission is rolling out digital voter identity cards or e-EPICs which will be downloadable on mobile phone or in a self-printable form on the computer, after logging in from Voter Helpline Mobile App, Voter Portal (www.voterportal.eci.gov.in) or National Voters' Service Portal (www.nvsp.in/). The Hon'ble President of India launched 'Radio Hello Voters' - a 24x7 online digital radio service that will stream voter awareness programmes accessible on the Election Commission of India website. Radio Hello Voters has been envisaged to provide information on electoral processes through songs, drama, discussions, podcasts, spots, parodies etc. in Hindi, English and different regional languages from all over the country. Guest of Honour, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad presented five new voters with their Digital Voter ID cards. While only newly enrolled electors with unique mobile number during SSR 2021 can download e-EPIC from 25th January to 31st January 2021 – this facility will be extended to all other electors from 1st February 2021 onwards. On this occasion, the President virtually conferred the National Awards for the Best Electoral Practices to Officers for their outstanding performance in the conduct of elections in different spheres. In addition, awards were also conferred on CSOs, Govt. Departments and Media Houses for their outstanding contribution in the field of voter awareness and outreach. Representatives from Political Parties also attended the national function. Three publications were launched by Union Minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad. The first book, Conducting Elections during Pandemic- A Photo Journey encapsulates the challenging journey of conducting elections amidst a pandemic. The second, SVEEP Endeavours: Awareness Initiatives during Lok Sabha Election 2019 provides a detailed insight into voter awareness interventions, innovations and initiatives during the 17th General Election, conducted in 2019. Chalo Karen Matdaan- a comic book that aims at voter education in a fun and thought-provoking way targeting young, new and future voters was also launched at the event. National Voters’ Day is celebrated all over the country on January 25 every year since 2011 to mark the Foundation day of Election Commission of India, which was established on this day in the year 1950. The main purpose of the NVD celebration is to encourage, facilitate and maximize the enrollment, especially for the new voters. Dedicated to the voters of the country, the Day is utilized to spread awareness among voters for promoting informed participation in the electoral process. Download link for National Voters’ Day Brochure: https://ecisveep.nic.in/files/file/1391-national-voters-day-2021-brochure/

10th National Voters’ Day celebrated to mark the Foundation Day of ECI The 10th National Voters’ Day (NVD) was celebrated across the country today. President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind presided over the national level event held at New Delhi. Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Law & Justice, Communications and Electronics and Information Technology also graced the event as the Guest of Honour. The Chief Election Commissioner Shri Sunil Arora, Election Commissioners Shri Ashok Lavasa and Shri Sushil Chandra, Secretary General Shri Umesh Sinha and Director General Shri Dharmendra Sharma received the dignitaries on the occasion. The theme for NVD 2020 was ‘Electoral Literacy for Stronger Democracy’ reiterating the commitment of Election Commission of India (ECI) towards electoral literacy for all to ensure maximum participation and informed & ethical voting. This year marks an important milestone in the history of Indian democracy as Election Commission of India (ECI) completes 70 years of its journey. President Sh. Ram Nath Kovind hailed the varied interventions taken up by ECI for the successful conduct of the 17th Lok Sabha Election in a free, fair and transparent manner. The President particularly appreciated the initiatives for reaching out to voters in the remotest corner to include their names in the electoral roll and to encourage them to exercise the Right to Vote, resulting in the historic voter turnout of 67.47%.He congratulated the new six new voters particularly who were given the Electoral Photo Identity Cards today. The President also particularly mentioned the Universal Adult Suffrage principle which helped all Indian eligible citizens to vote from the very beginning of the journey of Indian republic. Shri Kovind also took note of the special efforts undertaken by Election Commission of India to ensure that the gender gap was reduced to less than 0.1% in the last Lok Sabha General Election. He particularly lauded the Electoral Literacy Clubs’ efforts and use of vernacular language in reaching out to even in the remotest areas. On this occasion, the President gave away the National Awards for the Best Electoral Practices to Officers for their outstanding performance in the conduct of elections in different spheres. The district administrative and Security Officers were lauded for their efforts to ensure enrollment of new eligible voters with sustained efforts, launch of SVEEP Apps to facilitate polling experience, conduct of elections with innovative means, facilitating Persons with Disabilities at polling booths as also working amidst challenging circumstances such as severe cyclonic storm or coordinating security grid mechanisms. In addition, awards were also conferred on CSOs, Govt. Departments and Media Houses for their outstanding contribution in the field of voter awareness and outreach. Two books were launched by Union Minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad and presented to the Hon’ble President. The first book was Belief in the Ballot-II, an anthology of 101 human stories from across the nation about Indian elections. An amalgamation of daring, interesting and inspiring stories of both election officers and voters, this anthology presents experiences of courage, sacrifice and dedication of the election personnel as well as the enthusiasm and commitment of the voters. The second book launched was The Centenarian Voters: Sentinels of Our Democracy. This collection enumerates the stories and experiences of 51 centenarians across India, who braved difficult terrain, poor health and other challenges to come out and vote. Chief Election Commissioners and senior officials from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Tunisia graced the occasion. Reputed international organisations working in elections such as A-WEB, IFES and International IDEA were also a part of the occasion. Members of Political Parties, Members of Parliament besides Diplomats from various countries and representatives from national and international organizations working in the area of democracy and elections also attended the national function. The National Voters’ Day (NVD) is celebrated all over the country on January 25 every year since 2011 to mark the Foundation day of Election Commission of India, which was established on this day in the year 1950. This year, the celebrations were spread over three days to mark the 70 illustrious years of ECI establishment. On 23rd January, the Commission organized the first ever annual lecture series in memory of the first Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri Sukumar Sen. Hon’ble former President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee, delivered the keynote lecture. On 24th January, an International Conference on “Strengthening Institutional Capacity” was organised. The main purpose of the NVD celebration is to encourage, facilitate and maximize the enrollment, especially for the new voters. Dedicated to the voters of the country, the Day is utilized to spread awareness among voters for promoting informed participation in the electoral process. Download link for National Voters’ Day Brochure: https://ecisveep.nic.in/files/file/1200-national-voters-day-2020-brochure/