In accordance with the guidelines of the Chief Electoral Officer, Himachal Pradesh, ‘Electoral Literacy Club (ELC)’ activities were organized in all educational institutions of Shimla district today. District Election Officer and Deputy Commissioner of Shimla Anupam Kashyap, while giving information, said that ‘Electoral Literacy Club (ELC)’ activities will be organized in all educational institutions of the district on the third Saturday of every month. Its objective is to increase awareness about the electoral process among young voters and students and connect them with democratic values.
He informed them that Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELC) are special units established in educational institutions that work to make students and youth aware of voter education, the electoral process, and democratic rights and duties. Through these clubs, various activities such as seminars, quiz competitions, street plays, poster making, and voter registration campaigns are organized. The main objective of these activities is to provide information to the youth about the importance of voting, the process of registration in the voter list, and the transparency of the electoral system. It will be mandatory to organize ELC activities in all schools, colleges, universities, and other educational institutions on the third Saturday of every month. In these activities, students will get an opportunity to participate in interesting and educational programs related to voter awareness. Especially those students above 18 years of age who are not yet registered in the voter list will be targeted. For this, the institutions have also been instructed to organize special registration camps.
He informed them that all Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs), who are also Electoral Registration Officers of the respective Assembly constituencies, have been assigned the responsibility for the successful organization of these activities. In addition, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers, Naib Tehsildars (Elections), and Election Kanungos have also been directed to monitor and coordinate these programmes in their respective Assembly constituencies. Himachal Pradesh University, Deputy Director Higher Education, and principals of all ITI institutes have also been asked to activate ELC units in their institutes and run special drives for registration of left-out voters.
The Chief Electoral Officer, Himachal Pradesh, and District Electoral Officer (Deputy Commissioner) will personally monitor the progress of this initiative and visit various educational institutions from time to time to evaluate the ELC activities. This will not only ensure the quality of these activities but will also motivate educational institutions to work in this direction with more activism.
The Deputy Commissioner said that the activities of the Electoral Literacy Club (ELC) will not only help in increasing voter awareness but will also play a vital role in making the young generation responsible and active citizens of democracy. This initiative is a concrete step towards connecting the new generation with the electoral process, increasing their interest in voting, and promoting democratic values. The District Election Officer (Deputy Commissioner), Shimla has appealed to all the educational institutions and concerned officials to extend full cooperation to make this initiative a success by increasing voter participation and cooperating towards deepening the roots of democracy.
