Chief Election Commissioner trains students on electoral governance

NOIDA: The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Dr Nasim Zaidi on Wednesday trained a group of students on elections and electoral governance.
He informed them about the role of the Election Commission and about his own role and responsibilities as the CEC. The special interactive session was held in Shiv Nadar School, Noida where a group of students from class VIII, IX and X participated.
Dr Zaidi was accompanied by Umesh Sinha, the Deputy Election Commissioner and Padma Angmo, Director, Election Commission of India.The programme targeted to educate, inform and sensitize the upcoming generation of voters in the country.
In order to make learning practical, the officials of election commission made a model polling booth, complete with poling officers and EVM Machines, where the students got a taste of the actual voting process.
Dr Zaidi made the students understand the nature of electoral process in India and the active involvement of the Commission in ensuring free, fair and peaceful election. He also drew attention of the students towards the general apathy witnessed in the younger generation about the voting process. "There is need that this be rectified to safeguard the future of a healthy democracy," he said.
The students also asked some questions in the open session following his address. These included queries on the efficacy of NOTA (against all or scratch vote), the wastage of resources in conducting multiple elections for state and centre legislature and also about the impact of demonetization on the immediate next elections in the country.
A student also sought to understand how does the CEC manages to withstand the political pressure he might encounter during the course of discharge of his duties, to which he responded. “We observe two core values – integrity and transparency."
The CEC urged the young students go get themselves enroll as voters and also take part in electoral processes once they turn 18-years of age.