Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, Shri Gyanesh Kumar, inaugurated a two-day capacity-building training programme for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi. The training aims to strengthen election preparedness ahead of the upcoming General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies.
The programme includes participation from 369 grassroots-level election officials from Bihar, Haryana, the National Capital Territory of Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. It is part of the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) broader strategy to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and transparency in the electoral process.
In his inaugural address, CEC Gyanesh Kumar highlighted the critical role played by EROs, BLOs, and Booth Level Agents in maintaining error-free electoral rolls. “These frontline officers are the foundation of free and fair elections. Their actions must be guided strictly by the Representation of People Act, 1950, the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and the ECI’s guidelines issued from time to time,” he stated.
The training at IIIDEM focuses on updating electoral rolls, handling voter verification, and ensuring smooth coordination with political party representatives. Earlier this month, approximately 280 Booth Level Agents from 10 recognized political parties in Bihar also underwent similar training at the institute.
Key Highlights of the training:
- The training is designed to enhance participants’ practical understanding especially in the areas of voter registration, form handling, and field-level implementation of electoral procedures.
- The officials will also be provided technical demonstrations and training of EVMs and VVPATs. The participants were also familiarised with the provisions of first and second appeals against the final electoral rolls as published with the DM/District Collector/Executive Magistrate under section 24(a) of RP Act 1950 and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the State/UT under section 24(b) respectively.
- It may be recalled that no appeals were filed from Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi after the completion of the Special Summary Revision (SSR) exercise as of 6th-10th of January 2025.
- The curriculum includes interactive sessions, role plays simulating house-to-house surveys, case studies, and hands-on exercises for filling Forms 6, 6A, 7, and 8.
- Additionally, participants will receive practical training on the Voter Helpline App (VHA) and the BLO App.
- Sessions are being conducted by experienced National Level Master Trainers (NLMTs) and expert Resource Persons from the IT and EVM Divisions of the Commission. The sessions are interactive and will address common field-level errors and how to avoid them.
