Uttar Pradesh Electoral Officials to Study Italian Democratic Process
A delegation of electoral officials from India's Uttar Pradesh state will undertake a comprehensive study tour to Italy later this year, as announced by Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa. The initiative represents part of India's broader effort to examine international democratic practices.
The visiting team will comprise district election officers, electoral registration officers, supervisors, assistant electoral registration officers, and training specialists. These officials have demonstrated exceptional performance during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in their home state.
Educational Exchange Programme
During their Italian visit, the delegation will present India's electoral processes to their Italian counterparts. The programme includes comprehensive interactions with academic institutions, research fellows, and election administration personnel.
"The Election Commission of India has decided to send teams from various states to foreign countries on study tours," Rinwa explained during Sunday's announcement. "The members will study Italy's electoral process and engage with think tanks, university researchers, and election officials."
National Voters' Day Celebrations
The announcement coincided with India's 16th National Voters' Day celebrations at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. Rinwa recognised outstanding contributions by honouring 75 booth level officers, 75 supervisors, 18 electoral registration officers, and six district election officers from Etah, Barabanki, Auraiya, Shamli, Mahoba, and Fatehpur districts.
The ceremony included the presentation of voter identification cards to 15 newly eligible young voters and recognition of five women voters for their civic engagement.
Electoral Roll Modernisation
This year's theme, "My India, My Vote," emphasises citizen participation in democratic processes. January 25 marks the anniversary of the Election Commission of India's establishment in 1950, celebrated annually since 2011 to promote voting awareness.
The Special Intensive Revision campaign, conducted for the first time in 22 years in Uttar Pradesh, involves door-to-door verification of each voter. Following the enumeration drive, 125.5 million voters were included in the draft voter list published on January 6.
Special registration campaigns on January 11 and 18 generated 700,000 applications, with another campaign scheduled for January 31. The initiative particularly targets women and young voters aged 18 to 20 who remain unregistered.
Citizens can verify their electoral roll inclusion through the Uttar Pradesh CEO website, the ECI Net App, or the 1950 helpline service. Technology now monitors booth level officers' work to ensure transparency and accountability in the registration process.