eci New initiatives 2016

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1 eci New initiatives 2016 Hkkjr fuokzpu vk;ksx Election Commission of India Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road, New Delhi Hkkjr fuokzpu vk;ksx Election Commission of India Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road, New Delhi No voter to be left behind No voter to be left behind

2 Table of Contents Message by CEC 6 Message from EC (J) 7 Message from EC(R) 8 Foreword 9 Introduction and Preface 10 Acronyms 11 I. Electoral Roll National Electoral Roll Purification (NERP) Summary Revision of Last Part of the Electoral Rolls 13 II. Voter Facilitation Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) Enabling the Differently abled to Participate in Elections Polling Station at Leprosy Homes Separate Polling Station for Women Voting Rights to Prisoners Voter Guide Brochure (VGB) Voter Facilitation Posters (VFP) 16 III. Political Parties Meeting of ECI with Political Parties Conditions for Recognition as National & State Parties Delisting of Political Parties 16 IV. Electronic Voting Machine & Other Election Material Management National Stock Taking of EVMs & VVPATs Through Mobile Application Standardization of Voting Compartment Stamping of Mock Poll Slips of VVPATs Research & Development for EVM & VVPAT Integrated Violet Sketch Pen

3 V. Welfare Measures Payment of Ex-Gratia Compensation Honorarium to the CAPFs and SAPs Round the Clock PSO Provided to the Chief Electoral Officers 19 VI. Fairness and Level Playing Field in Elections Nomination Forms and Candidates Affidavit Retention of Affidavit in Form Name and Address of the Publisher on Hoarding, Flex Boards etc Storage and Supply of CCTV Recordings Proposal to Amend the Provisions for Disqualifications Adjournment of Poll on the Ground of Bribery Special Drive 21 VII. ECI Secretariat Strategic Plan IT Vision of ECI Systemised File Management System Standard Document Control Mechanism Working Groups Committees of Directorate of Law Internal MIS Training of ECI Officers at ISTM 24 VIII. New it Applications Developed for Conduct of Elections RO Net ECI 360 o developed Security Net Suraksha App EEM Pali SUITE developed 26 IX. Training and Capacity Building IIIDEM Campus Training of IIIDEM in Georgia Capacity Building of ECI Officers 28 X. Engagement with International Agencies International Conference on Voter Education for Inclusive, Informed 29 & Ethical Participation 46. VoICE.Net Seminar for the Delegates on Leveraging Technology for Transparent 29 and Credible Elections XI. Voter Awareness Election Commission of India s Tableau in the Republic Day Parade 30 in New Delhi 49. Use of Social Media National Media Awards SVEEP III SVEEP Kit Matdata Mahostav Belief in Ballot- 101 Human Stories from Indian Elections Electoral Literacy in School Curriculum

4 message I am delighted to share with you a comprehensive document highlighting the initiatives undertaken by the Election Commission of India. Election Commission has laid special emphasis on the documentation of various initiatives to ensure the smooth conduct of free, fair and transparent elections. A fresh attempt to document New Initiatives was made in the year The second document of this series aims to showcase the relentless zeal with which more initiatives have been undertaken by the Commission as part of its commitment towards strengthening our democracy. I hope this document will prove to be an informative document for all stakeholders of democracy for a detailed perspective on the innumerable initiatives undertaken by the Election Commission to further strengthen the electoral process. I would like to congratulate all the officials of the Election Commission without whose contribution and support; this document wouldn t have seen the light of the day. Message This publication is a testimony to the fact that Commission is embarking on the road to latest management practices aided by research and technology. Election machinery in the field can better understand and appreciate all activities and related instructions of the Commission by going through this publication since this publication mirrors the priority areas of the Commission. I appreciate the ECI team who brought this publication since it gives a snapshot of the all major activities of the Commission during (A.K. Joti) 6 7

5 Foreword Message Election Commission of India is bringing out a compilation of new initiatives taken during the year 2016 so that all its stakeholders get an update of the various new activities/achievements/advancements etc. in election management. These Initiatives in multiple areas of election management are in pursuance of the theme Inclusive and Qualitative Participation selected by ECI for the year This publication also codifies the new benchmarks in election management. I hope that various stakeholders in the election management in India and officials working for EMBs abroad will benefit by this document. (O.P. Rawat) ECI promotes continuous improvement in electoral processes through better management practices and use of advanced technologies. This publication is a collection of new initiatives incorporated in the functioning of the Commission through various programmes, procedures and practices. This year the Commission has prepared ICT-2025 vision document to initiate ICT based comprehensive approach in election management to face various challenges by use of technology in diverse areas. The Strategic Plan is a significant milestone in perspective planning and the journey of electoral democracy of the country and will serve as a guiding beacon for all the stakeholders in the election framework of the country. The Commission s decision to rescind elections in two assembly constituencies of Tamil Nadu in response to the large scale bribing of electors was historic. In this publication, major initiatives and innovations of the Commission have been presented in eleven broad heads. By documenting these initiatives, ECI intends to keep all stakeholders fully informed and to ensure meaningful engagement which will act as catalyst to more initiative and innovations to further improve all aspects and processes related to elections. Dr. Sandeep Saxena 8 9

6 Introduction and Preface This book presents the new initiatives, taken by the Commission during the calendar year 2016 in electoral management. This year the Commission fulfilled theconstitutional mandate of conducting free and fair and inclusive elections by taking up innovative initiatives along with institutionalised best practices. Commission promoted in-house research and continued to deploy many IT applications to better understand the target population and to better manage elections. In-house improvement in the working of the ECI secretariat through a strategic plan and through studies on functional areas; continuous innovation on the training requirement of the Commission; reaching to the electorate in many innovative ways so as to encourage and facilitate them to participate in the elections; and conducting electoral roll purification drive and revitalising expenditure monitoring for sustained electoral fairness are some of the highlights of activities of the Commission in The Commission also continued cooperation with other Election Management Bodies of the world. The initiatives taken have been written in brief. For details on the initiatives, the readers may consult other ECI publications and instructions of Commission values this compilation as a mechanism to report to its stakeholders the latest benchmarks on which the Commission performs its constitutional mandate. Jayasree MG Director Acronyms ALT : Assembly Level Trainers BLO : Booth Level Officer CAPF : Central Armed Police Force DEMP : District Election Management Planning DLMT : District Level Master Trainers DSE : Demographically Similar Entries EMBs : Election Management Bodies EPIC : Elector Photo Identity Card ETPBS : Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System EVM : Electronic Voting Machine IFES : International Foundation for Electoral Systems IIM : Indian Institute of Management IIT : Indian Institute of Technology ISTM : Institute of Secretarial Training & Management MIS : Management Information System NGOs : Non-Governmental Organisations NISG : National Institute of Smart Governance NLMT : National Level Master Trainers NVD : National Voters' Day PSO : Personal Security Officer PwD : Persons with Disabilities QCI : Quality Council of India RFID : Radio Frequency Identification RO : Returning Officer SAP : State Armed Police SFC : Standing Finance Committee SLMT : State Level Master Trainers SVEEP : Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation TTF : Training of Trainers and Facilitators UNDP : United Nations Development Programme VVPAT : Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail 10 11

7 I. Electoral Roll Complete and error-free electoral roll promote fair and inclusive elections. Error correction, removal of duplicates and addition and deletion to the roll are continuous exercise at the behest of the Commission. Year 2016 saw concerted effort to purify electoral roll. 1. National Electoral Roll Purification (NERP) Before undertaking the summary revision activities in 2016, the Commission launched field implementation phase of NERP As per the scheme, BLOs conducted door-to-door verification of entries identified under Absentee/ Shifted/ Dead/ Repeated (A/S/D/RE) and non-enrolled persons and persons going to become eligible on 1st January The field staff collected contact details from electors, who were ready to share such details voluntarily. This would help the Commission in enhancing the electoral roll related services. The NERP was launched by the Commission on 18th July, 2016 and the programme strives to improve the fidelity of the rolls through effective use of technology and SVEEP strategies. The programme was popularised by voter awareness programme, periodic press releases and institutionalisation of award for officials for their 100% achievement. The Commission encouraged all stakeholders to take part actively. Expected outcomes of NERP are substantially error free Electoral Rolls, easy access to polling stations by electors and improving citizen services to registered electors. Information Technology is being extensively used in information collection, processing, sharing and efficient decision making. National ER database has been processed to identify and generate sets of Demographically Similar Entries (DSEs) where electors name, gender, age/ date of birth, relation type and name are similar and such DSEs are being subjected to further electronic scrutiny and field verification. Key IT enabled activities deployed under NERP 2016 are identifying entries requiring image improvement and further examination for logical errors and EPIC related errors, capturing the existing and probable Polling Station buildings coordinates, mapping the facilities and drawing the part boundaries on GIS map with AutoCAD diagram of Polling Booth and GIS/Key Maps to assist the electors to reach their Polling Station. A versatile NERP dashboard has been developed for use by the EROs/DEOs and the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) to capture, enter, process, monitor and share the information. 2. Summary Revision of Last Part of the Electoral Rolls On 27th October, 2016, Election Commission ordered for summary revisions of last part of electoral roll meant for service electors with reference to as the qualifying date. The facility of online filing of application for registration in the last part of electoral roll was provided for the first time to the service personnel in II. Voter Facilitation The Commission is committed to the enhancement of voter facilitation to ensure that all voters are able to cast their vote in an easy, convenient and informed manner. 3. Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) The members of the Armed Forces of Union, members of Central Armed Police Forces, Members of Armed Police Forces of a State posted outside the State and persons employed under the Govt. of India in a post outside India, remain away from their place of ordinary residence while discharging their official duties. They are categorised as Service Voters. They generally vote by postal ballots which are transmitted by post to their place of posting. The votes cast by them are received back again by post at designated place for counting. The Commission with the help of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) developed ETPBS, an alternative method of quick dispatch of Postal Ballot paper electronically to the entitled Service Voters. System uses QR codes for uniqueness of the Service Voters and the secrecy in transmission is ensured by the use of OTP and PIN. Use of ETPBS will ensure timely delivery of the ballot paper to the eligible Service Voter. A pilot was run during the bye-election from 17-Nellithope Assembly Constituency of Puducherry. The representatives of the political parties appreciated the initiatives of the Election Commission in ensuring participation of Service Voters in the democratic process and extended their full support for the roll out of system ETPB System to the Service Voters. Seminar on 12 13

8 ETPBS was held on 23rd November, 2016 and a Training of Master trainers was held on 9th December, Enabling the Differently Abled to Participate in Elections ECI issued instructions, among others, to take proactive steps to identify Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in advance and to create a database with the help of Census, Social Justice & Empowerment Deptt., Child Welfare Deptt. and Samagra Yojana. As per the instruction issued PwDs in each polling station would be identified by BLOs and such information would be kept in the Database, without forming these additional information as part of electoral roll. Further, directions were issued codifying the Assured Minimum Facilities (such as ramp, drinking water, toilet, lighting, furniture, help desk and proper signage at each polling station) to be given to the PwDs and to set up special polling stations exclusively for them in places/areas where PwDs reside in large numbers and in leprosy sanatorium. The data on polling station wise list of PwDs with type of disability noted against registered electors can be used to ensure complete enrolment of PwDs in the electoral roll and to select renowned PwDs as District Campus Ambassadors and District/State Icons etc. A comprehensive activity chart clearly underlining the various activities to be carried out, steps to be taken, fixing of responsibilities of concerned officials, a definite timeframe for each activity and the desired outcomes regarding ease of registration and voting by PwD was devised for clarity and coherence. 5. Polling Station at Leprosy Homes The Commission directed that if a leprosy sanatorium is located within the constituency, then, if possible, a polling station might be set up at the sanatorium for the benefit of the inmates and sanatorium staff might be appointed as Presiding and Polling Officers of the polling station. 6. Separate Polling Station for Women The Commission directed that in areas where women voters feel inhibited in mingling with male electors because of local custom or social practice, a separate Polling Station for women can be provided after acquiring approval of the Election Commission. Further, in the case of populous villages, if two Polling Stations are to be provided for a village, one may be provided for male electors and the other for female ones. In Polling Stations provided exclusively for women electors, polling personnel should normally also be women. When separate Polling Stations are provided for men and women of a particular polling area, these should, as far as possible, be located in the same building for general convenience. 7. Voting Rights to Prisoners Election Commission of India as a Constitutional body believes that voting rights should be extended to even those under trial i.e. those who haven t yet been convicted. Thus, in this regard, a Committee has been constituted to understand and discuss the scope of extending voting rights to these prisoners. A possibility of putting an e-postal ballot mechanism is also under consideration by the constituted Committee. 8. Voter Guide Brochure (VGB) The Commission decided to distribute Voter Guide Brochure alongwith the Photo Voter Slips by the BLOs in 2016 elections. A Voter Guide Brochure (in local languages) was handed over to every household head. The brochure contained information about the date and time of poll, contact details of the BLOs, important websites, helpline numbers, documents required for identification at the polling station besides other important information including the Do s and Dont s for voters at the polling station. 9. Voter Facilitation Posters (VFP) In order to fulfil the statutory requirements under Rule 31 of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 and to provide accurate and relevant information, the Commission decided that uniform and standardized Voter Facilitation Posters (VFP) be displayed on all polling stations for greater facilitation and awareness of the voters. Posters have been designed to capture voter-centric information relevant on the poll day like details of the polling booth, polling area, list of contesting candidates, contact details of the important election functionaries, list of prescribed identification documents, illustrative voting procedure, items prohibited around the polling booth and important Do s and Don t s to be observed on the poll day. These VFPs were prominently displayed in each polling booth in the poll-going States of

9 III. Political Parties The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order of 1968 and other executive instructions of the Commission relating to Model Code of Conduct delineates the necessary guidelines for Political Parties. 10. Meeting of ECI with Political Parties The Commission held a meeting with all recognized National and State political parties on 19th March 2016 at New Delhi to discuss some of the important issues related to electoral reforms and the conduct of elections. All National Parties and 29 State Parties attended the meeting. Issues discussed include (i) advantage of use of totalizer for counting of votes from multiple EVMs as against counting from individual EVM from a single polling station, (ii) proposal to prohibit telecast of election campaign activities when one phase is within 48 hours of polling in a multi-phased election, (iii) proposal to insert a column in the format of the affidavit for candidates to declare the source of income, (iv) the need to set up booth of candidates near the polling stations on the day of poll and (v) a proposal to increase the security deposit amount for the candidates. 11. Conditions for Recognition as National & State Parties Election Commission of India issued a notificationon , as an amendment to the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order 1968, regarding conditions for recognition of political parties. The existing Para 6C of the Symbols Order has been substituted to the effect that statusquo of recognition of the political parties, that fail to fulfil the conditions laid down in the Symbol Order, will be maintained till the next General Election to the House/ Assembly. Political parties are recognised as National/ State parties on the basis of the performance in the General Elections to Lok Sabha/ Legislative Assemblies. In effect, recognised political parties are getting one more chance to perform and maintain the status of recognition. 12. Delisting of Political Parties The Commission reviewed the cases of the registered unrecognised political parties, which did not set up any candidate at any of the General Elections to the House of the People and /or State Legislative Assemblies held during the period from the year 2005 to 2015 and delisted the names of 255 political parties. Particulars of the delisted political parties were forwarded to the Central Board of Direct Taxes, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India for their information and necessary action. IV. electronic Voting Machine & Other Election Material Management Electronic Voting Machines are being used universally in the Indian elections since Since then meticulous management of voting machines are part of conduct of elections. Similarly, continuous improvement in other election material management is brought in so as to ensure fairness and secrecy of ballot. 13. National Stock Taking of EVMs & VVPATs through Mobile Application During June-September, 2016 a nation-wide stock taking program was launched to manage EVM/VVPAT stock throughout the country. For this task, a user friendly mobile application was developed, which made stock taking easier and convenient. This app works in offline mode. However, for logging in and transferring data internet/wi-fi is required. A web-version of EVM Tracking Software was developed later. To make the stock management and shifting of EVMs/VVPATs easy and accurate, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags were introduced on pilot basis in one location each of Karnataka, Meghalaya, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. 14. Standardization of Voting Compartment Instruction for standardisation of Voting Compartments, specifying the material to be used and the dimension in which the compartments to be manufactured, was laid down by the Commission. It was decided to make the Voting Compartments only of corrugated plastic sheet (flex-board) of steal grey colour, (opaque and reusable) in the size of 24"X24 X30" (Length X Width X Height). The purpose of standardisation is to ensure the secrecy of ballots at the time of casting the votes. 15. Stamping of Mock Poll Slips of VVPATs The Commission instructed to stamp the envelope containing the mock poll slips of VVPATs in order to differentiate mock poll slips and actual slips. (3cms X 1.5 cms) 16 17

10 16. Research & Development for EVM & VVPAT The Commission earmarked a R&D corpus of Rs. 25 crore for to fund projects with the objective of bringing about continuous improvement in electronic voting. To formulate a R&D programme involving research institutes, design houses, etc., a brainstorming session was organised on 27th August, 2016 at New Delhi. 16 Organizations/Institutions participated in the Session and the 2nd session was held on 3rd November, The Commission invited Expression of Interest from Indian R&D Houses/Institutes. The proposals received have been sent to Department of Electronics and Information Technology (Government of India) for evaluation. 17. Integrated Violet Sketch Pen The Commission issued directions that integrated violet sketch pen of specific design will be used as instrument for recording preferences on ballot paper in elections to the Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Councils. Such pens will be manufactured by M/s Mysore Lac and Paints Ltd., Mysore, Karnataka carrying the ECI name and Logo and the words For Marking Preference on Ballot Paper of Council Elections only. V. Welfare Measures The Representation of the People Act, 1950 provides that the officers or staff employed in connection with the preparation, revision and correction of the electoral rolls for, and the conduct of, all elections shall be deemed to be on deputation to the Election Commission for the period during which they are so employed and such officers and staff shall, during that period, be subject to the control, superintendence and discipline of the Election Commission. 18. Payment of Ex-Gratia Compensation The Commission decided for payment of ex-gratia compensation to the staff of polling personnel who die or sustain injuries while on election duty in connection with conduct of elections to Legislative Council also. Earlier, it was applicable for the conduct of Elections to Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies only. 19. Honorarium to the CAPFs and SAPs Commission decided to give honorarium to CAPFs and SAPs, during the poll period, acknowledging their crucial and irreplaceable role in securing free, fair, peaceful and participative election. 20. Round the Clock PSO provided to the Chief Electoral Officers The Commission after reviewing the nature of duties performed by CEO, directed that round the clock PSO (with side arm) be provided to the Chief Electoral Officers throughout the year and the enhanced security cover, during election period, be allowed on the basis of requirements of the Chief Electoral Officer. VI. Fairness and Level Playing Field in Elections Commission ensures level-playing field to all contesting candidates and monitors expenditure of candidates so as to remove undue influence of money in elections. 21. Nomination Form and Candidates Affidavit Nomination Form was amended by the Law Ministry vide notification no dated on the recommendation of the Commission to make provision for providing photograph of candidate and for making a declaration about citizenship from the candidate. Also, the Commission sent a proposal to Law Ministry in September 2016 to modify the affidavit, in Form 26. By such modification, the Commission intends that the source of income, of the candidate and spouse candidates, is disclosed. 22. Retention of Affidavit in Form 26 The Commission prescribed that nomination papers, along with supporting documents and Affidavits [ Form 26 and the additional affidavit regarding Govt. dues] should be retained for a period of six years after the completion of elections or till the disposal of election petition, if any, or any other suit/ petition in any Court in which any of the declarations made in any of these documents is under challenge. 23. Name and Address of the Publisher on Hoarding, Flex Boards etc. Under section 127A of the R.P. Act, 1951, whoever prints or publishes election pamphlets, posters, handbills or placards which does not bear on its face the 18 19

11 name and the address of the publisher, it is an offence which is non-cognizable and can attract six months imprisonment or fine upto Rs.2000/- or both. The Commission clarified that hoardings, flex boards, etc. containing any election related advertisement will also be treated as coming within the meaning of poster and hence the requirement for giving the name and address of the publisher would be applicable in case of hoarding, flex board etc. including on hoardings of photos of party leaders. 24. Storage and Supply of CCTV Recordings In order to remove any ambiguity, the Commission issued clear cut instructions about retention period of video recordings of various stages of election process with the District Election Officer. The retention period of video recordings of process of nomination, scrutiny, withdrawal, polling and counting was fixed as 45 days and that of election campaign till the expiry of 8 months from the date of declaration of result. In respect of any election, in which an election petition etc. has been filed and in which the recording might be relevant, then the video recordings shall be retained in the safe custody of DEO till the disposal of such matter. 25. Proposal to Amend the Provisions for Disqualifications In pursuance of the judgement dated 7th August, 2015, of the Hon ble Delhi High Court, directing the Commission to consider the possibility, if any, of putting an impediment to a defaulter of public dues from contesting election, to ensure quick recovery of the said dues the Commission has recommended to the Law Ministry that the provisions for disqualifications laid down in Chapter III of Part II of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, may suitably be amended by inserting appropriate clause for disqualification on the ground of being defaulter of public dues. 26. Adjournment of Poll on the Ground of Bribery The Commission proposed that, after Section 58A, a new Section 58B be inserted in the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to the effect that if at any election abuse of money power, bribery or distribution of money to electors as inducement, takes place in a polling area(s) or at a place fixed for the poll, which is likely to vitiate or has vitiated the conduct of free and fair election, the Commission may postpone the poll or countermand the election in the affected constituency. The proposal was made after the Commission rescinded elections in two assembly constituencies of 134-Aravakurichi and 174-Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, following large scale instances of bribing of electors by candidates and workers of political parties. Plenary powers under Article 324 of the Constitution and Sections 30 and 153 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, read with Section 21 of the General Clauses Act, 1897 were invoked for the purpose. De-novo fresh elections were later held on 19th November, This was the first time that Election Commission had to take such an extreme step. 27. Special Drive A special drive was conducted in the beginning of 2016 to dispose of the pending cases of accounts of election expenses of the poll going States of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa. For this, video conferencing of some of the District Election Officers was held and in some cases, team of Officers of the Commission also visited the district concerned for collecting the relevant documents.the drive helped in disposal of good number of pending cases of accounts of election expenses. VII. ECI Secretariat ECI gave a new vision and direction to its secretariat in Strategic Plan With the increasing need to address multiple challenges such as evolving socio-political milieu, enhanced awareness of voters, increased transparency in election management, changing IT environment, optimum utilization of limited resources etc., the Commission came out with a long term Strategic Plan ( ) to continually ensure the most efficient and professional management of elections in the country. The Strategic Plan of the Election Commission of India address not only the myriad emerging challenges, but also the needs and the priorities for the future. Under the Strategic Plan , each functional division have been assigned specific tasks, which are to be completed within the stipulated time frame. The entire Strategic Plan has been divided into 15 Strategic Pillars, which are designed to achieve specific goals

12 The achievement, of these specific goals, requires well defined activities to be completed by specific functional divisions. For ample clarity and assignation of specific responsibility, the activities scheduled to be completed in the year 2016, were finalized, printed and circulated to all the divisions. For regular monitoring and review of the performance of different divisions, the activities outlined in the Strategic Plan were incorporated in the Internal MIS reports of the ECI. 29. IT Vision of ECI, ICT 2025 With a vision to provide integrated single window view of services to all stakeholders through multimodal channels in an inclusive manner by adopting contemporary paradigm in e-governance, an IT vision document has been prepared with the help of National Institute of Smart Governance (NISG). The project was recommended by IT Task Force constituted to give the medium to long term vision for ECI IT applications and subsequently by Standing Finance Committee (SFC). 30. Systemised File Management System To bring uniformity in the communiques issued by ECI and to ensure that the origins of these can be easily traced back, a systemized file management system has been devised by the Commission and an order envisaging the same has been issued by Administration Division on A training of concerned officials on how to implement the system has also been organized. The Commission also envisaged to implement e-office (as part of ICT 2025), to create and manage documents that can be viewed, searched and shared electronically. The system is capable of maintaining dynamic workflow and to keep track of the different versions modified by different users (Tracking history). Once implemented, this will replace the physical movement of files for taking decisions. 31. Standard Document Control Mechanism Regularly updated core contents of all regulations, letters, instructions (subject-wise) obviates the necessity of locating and referring to individual letter/instructions. This will help in the organisational efficiency by making available up-to-date information to all levels of election machinery. Towards the purpose, manuals on polling stations, EVMs, E-roll, District Election Management Planning (DEMP), SVEEP, Force Multipliers and Non-CAPF Measures, Regulatory Audit and Vulnerability Mapping etc. have been prepared ensuring that such manuals include all functional points on the topic. It is envisaged that after a specified period only such manuals and regular updates will operate. To achieve this level, Quality Council of India (QCI) has been engaged to implement Standard Document Control System in the ECI LAN with proper training and auditing. The drafting of Standard Operating Procedures of all ECI sections was completed with documentation on input, output and activities and the risks involved. 151 procedures have been drafted. This has laid the foundation for process and document management of ECI. 32. Working Groups/ Committees of 2016 The working groups/ committees on risk management manual, providing voting rights to prisoners, observers system, revised version on MCC for biennial elections, transportation management, polling station management, manpower management, material management, data sharing policy, short term urgent requirement of officers and staff in the Commission etc. were formed by the Commission in the year The following working groups/committees have submitted their reports in the year 2016: (a) Study on alternative voting option for overseas electors was completed and the WG recommended the facility of voting through proxy or voting through postal ballot paper with one- way electronic transmission (from RO to elector) as alternative voting options for the overseas electors. A proposal to amend the RP Act 1951 to this effect has been forwarded to Law Ministry. (b) A draft proforma Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR) for evaluating performance of DEOs was prepared and DoPT was asked to consider for suitable amendment in the APAR proforma for DEOs. (c ) SoP was developed for rationalization of Polling Stations. (d) Study completed on problems of domestic migrants. (e ) Working Group on Data Sharing Policy submitted its report with 22 23

13 recommendations on the desired components for data sharing and accessibility policy of the Commission. (f) Working Group on the preparation of Electoral Risk Management manual finalised the list of risks and the Commission circulated electoral cycle wise list of risks associated with conduct of elections to the filed functionaries in December Directorate of Law ECI legal division was strengthened with appointment of Director (Law), Consultant (Legal) and four Legal Researchers. Central data of pending Writ Petitions and criminal petitions by ECI has been created through a dedicated portal on website of ECI. Legal compendium of important legal cases- Landmark Judgements on election laws from the year 2005 to 2016 was published. Procedure for the Conduct of Enquiries in Reference Cases for proper functioning and implementation of the quasi- judicial authority of ECI has been prepared. Streamlining of the existing legal counsels of ECI by appointing them for a dedicated term throughout the country. First ever National Conference on Electoral Laws conducted in December, All the counsels are now equipped to submit updates of pending and disposed off cases through a dedicated link. Up-to-date important judgments pertaining to ECI by all High Courts and Hon ble Supreme Court are uploaded in the website. Appointment of Director (Law) as the Registrar and creation of Registry for Reference Cases. Review and re-appraisal of all sections of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 were undertaken. 34. Internal MIS A software application has been developed to facilitate planning and execution of work envisaged in the strategic plan, All goals and activities of the strategic plan have been listed and concerned officials are required to enter the milestones and the progress of activities every month. Activities and timelines suggested in the Election Commission s review meetings and other routine work in the sections/divisions are monitored through this platform. 35. Training of ECI Officers at ISTM Officers are required to be trained at regular intervals to improve efficiency in carrying out duties. The Commission decided to train all officers in the ECI Secretariat so that the strategic vision of the Commission is accomplished. Hence, the Commission took the initiative to impart training to Secretaries and Under Secretaries through ISTM in two separate batches. Due to preoccupations with time-bound work, officers training was not happening in the recent past. The decision to regular and periodic training to hone the skills and polish the acumen of its officers is major deviation from the recent past. VIII. New it Applications Developed for Conduct of Elections New and upgraded technological tools are being used in the election planning monitoring and in result dissemination. 36. RO Net RO Net was conceptualized and designed by ECI to be tuned by CEO, Punjab after trial run as proof of concept. This IT solution is for assisting ROs in discharge of their duties right from the nomination process till counting of votes. RO Net is expected to reduce reporting time, and to ease the monitoring activities up to polling booth level. It will create a database and CEO, DEO and ECI officials can access records in real time. The accessibility is provided in multichannel, such as web application, Mobile app and SMS alert and messaging system. The information would be archived as knowledge base for auditing, if required, and for future planning, thus serving as knowledge base. 37. ECI 360 o developed ECI 360 degree mobile app was conceptualized for the use of Election officials such as EROs, ROs, DEOs and CEOs besides ECI officials. It is a platform to share necessary information such as progress of the nomination process, to facilitate interaction of RO with political parties and candidates, and interaction between RO, DEO and SP during conduct of elections. Media and citizens can access the details of contesting candidates and their respective Affidavits or counter affidavits. This mobile app was used in general elections of 2016 as a first prototype within a constituency and was improved further so that next trial run could be implemented during GE Elections to States of Punjab, UP, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand

14 38. Security Net This IT solution was conceptualized and developed in close coordination with Punjab State Police for deployment at district level in the Punjab during GE elections to be held in It was developed for better coordination of police related work during elections. Police nodal officers at various levels in the district are connected through this application for resolving any complaints and for passing on any instruction and to report to the concerned district administration every hour. Demography information has been integrated through GIS. 39. Suraksha App The Suraksha App provides details of liaison officers, area domination routes, accommodation details, duties concerning EVM security, details of polling centre deployment to all CAPF commanders. 40. EEM Pali For proper monitoring of election expenditure, candidates and political parties were given online facility for lodging expenditure details. It helped the expenditure observers to match the shadow register with the accounts of expenditure details uploaded by candidates and political parties. Through this app, MCMC members and other district officials were connected. It was tested in Tamil Nadu during General Election and intended to be used in Punjab in SUITE developed ECI developed an ECI Apps SUITE by integrating all existing mobile apps of ECI and States, so as to provide a single window for accessing useful mobile apps pertaining to Elections by stakeholders such as political parties, candidates, citizens, electors, media and election officials. Mobile apps and the services, included, have been categorized for stakeholder facilitation. The ECI Apps Suite gave a channel of communication to the Commission to disseminate information, facts and figures and SVEEP related activities in real time. IX. Training and Capacity Building The Election Commission of India has set up the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) as its advance training and resource wing in IIIDEM Campus On 25th January, 2016 the foundation stone for the new campus of India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) was laid by Dr. Nasim Zaidi, Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri A.K. Joti, Election Commissioner and Shri O.P. Rawat, Election Commissioner at Dwarka, New Delhi in the presence of Chairman, Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan, Election Commissioner Australian Electoral Commission, Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh, Election Commissioner of Bhutan, Commissioner of Election Commission of Malaysia, Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal, Chief Election Commissioner of Sri Lanka & representatives from EMB of Pakistan. The new campus comprises of three main blocks constituting Institutional block, Hostel Block and Auditorium on a 5 acre plot. IIIDEM is working with six centres of excellence namely Centre for Training and Capacity Development, Centre for International Cooperation and Capacity Building, Centre for IT & E-Learning, Centre for Voter Education, Centre for Innovation, Research & Documentation and Centre for Electoral Laws. Centre for Innovation & Research in IIIDEM created for research activities on Election Management & Democracy was made operational. Two Consultations with prominent National Universities, National Law Universities, IIMs, IITs & NGOs were organized to discuss about IIIDEM s research agenda and collaborative courses during July and August Further, activities for fresh appointments of Research Associates, Media Executive, Program Manager and Program Officers were undertaken and the selected ones took charge in November, Training of IIIDEM in Georgia In continuation with signing of the MoU and deepening of engagement with CEC, Georgia, Election Commission of India was approached with the idea of providing a capacity development programme to election officials of Georgia. The programme was conducted during 21st and 23rd June, The 26 27

15 programme, first of its kind for IIIDEM to be hosted in a country outside India, was an important part of the ECI s cooperation initiative, aimed at sharing its experience, skills and expertise with democracies that were looking for expert guidance. 44. Capacity Building of ECI Officers (a) In 2016, IIIDEM started a Leadership and Motivational Training Program for the field staff in the offices of CEO and DEO of the pollgoing states of The program was a 3 day residential program and was conducted by specialised agencies selected by IIIDEM. (b) To imbibe the best election management practices amongst Returning Officers (RO), the Commission initiated a Certification Program for ROs for the first time in The ROs for all the 690 Assembly Constituencies of five poll bound States in 2017 i.e. Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, participated in the intensive training programs and were later evaluated on their performance. (c) IIIDEM entered into MOUs with 11 Administrative Training Institutions of Punjab, Jharkhand, Delhi, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Tripura, Meghalaya and Gujarat to promote cooperation in the field training and capacity building of the electoral machinery in the State/Union Territories. IIIDEM was invited by Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Administration, Punjab for conducting foundation course on Electoral Roll & Conduct of Elections. The programme was attended by officers and probationers of IAS/ State Civil Service. (d) Training of Trainers and Facilitators (TTF): Master Trainers across the country are already well versed in training methodologies; however, the Commission decided to equip all trainers in training techniques so that they could effectively provide trainings before every election. TTF was imparted to a dynamic pool of 55 National Level Master Trainers. Similarly, a 2/4 day residential training program for all State Level Master Trainers (SLMTs), District level Master Trainers (DLMTs) and Assembly Level Trainers (ALTs) was imparted by the Commission, especially for the trainers in poll going states. 130 batches comprising approximately 35 trainers in each batch were effectively developed under this program. X. Engagement with International Agencies 45. international Conference on Voter Education for Inclusive, Informed & Ethical Participation The Election Commission of India organised an international conference on Voter Education for Inclusive, Informed and Ethical Participation from 19th 21st October 2016 at New Delhi. Countries across the world assembled together to exchange vision, knowledge and learnings in the field of voter education. The Conference aimed (i) to showcase and elicit good practices, as well as their potential for replication in other contexts and (ii) to provide EMBs with comparative information, data, experiences and examples to mainstream electoral literacy. The Conference came up with conclusions, emerging from the experience of all participants, on ways of strengthening qualitative and ethical electoral participation through legal frameworks or different policies. 46. VoICE.Net Voter Information, Communication, Education Network (VoICE.Net) was launched at the International Conference on Voter Education for Inclusive, Informed & Ethical Participation. It is proposed to be developed as a Global Knowledge Network for sharing knowledge, resources and expertise on Voter Education. 25 Election Management Bodies and representatives from UNDP, International IDEA, IFES and Malaysian Commonwealth Studies Centre became part of Voice.Net. The portal is being maintained by Election Commission of India. 47. seminar for the Delegates on Leveraging Technology for Transparent and Credible Elections On 23rd February 2016, the ECI hosted a seminar for the delegates of A-WEB Executive Board meeting at New Delhi on Leveraging Technology for Transparent and Credible Elections. At the seminar, the lead presentation was made by India, showcasing the use of technology in various electoral processes. Country presentations were made by the Republic of Korea, the Kyrgyz Republic, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, Kenya, South Africa, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Romania

16 XI. Voter Awareness Systematic Voter s Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) was initiated by the Commission to ensure registration of eligible electors and to improve voter turnout in elections. Understanding the reasons for non-participation and engaging citizens to improve participation are core of the SVEEP. 48. election Commission of India s Tableau in the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi A tableau depicting the theme Inclusive and Qualitative Electoral Participation representing the mandate and ideals of the Election Commission took part in the Republic Day parade on 26 January The front part of the tableau showcased people in various costumesen capsulating the concept of diversity among Indian citizens, along with the Ashoka Pillar, the National Emblem of India, symbolizing the resolve to promote ethical and informed electoral participation. The tableau displayed the Election Commission of India s National Voters Service Portal, a digital platform to provide e-enabled services to voters. The deployment of men and women in difficult terrain during the electoral process was depicted on both the side murals. The process of voter education and awareness, now an integral part of election management, was also shown through an EVM familiarization camp. The Tableau also highlighted officials reaching polling stations in the remotest areas in adverse conditions to enable people to vote. The ECI s endeavour to make the electoral process accessible, easy, people-friendly and festive was exhibited in the form of a Model Polling Station a long with various facilitation measures such a saramp for Persons with Disabilities, a help desk, special assistance for the elderly and medical facilities, etc. 49. Use of Social Media Taking into account the significant influence and impact of Social Media now-a-days, the Election Commission of India decided to enhance its interaction and involvement with all its stakeholders in the electoral processes through the use of Social Media at State as well as at the District level. Chief Electoral Officers and the District Election Officers were asked to activate their official accounts on various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc. for establishing a more interactive atmosphere. The CEOs were instructed to set up a Social Media Cell to professionally handle Social Media and disseminate all the necessary information regarding voters awareness, pre-certification, MCC, etc. Campaign activities captured in the form of audios, videos and photographs were encouraged to be put up on Social Media platforms. At the ECI level, a Social Media Cell was setup to monitor the performance of the State/UTs and Districts to guide and train so as to maximise the use of Social Media. All Concerned were instructed to promptly respond to the complaints being received on this platform. 50. National Media Awards 2016 The media plays a pivotal role in educating the general public about the power and importance of their vote and in educating them about the electoral processes. To applaud the remarkable contributions by Media Houses for promoting voter awareness, the Election Commission of India presents awards on every National Voter s Day (25 January). Apart from the Print Media and Television Category, two new categories were added to the list in 2016, namely the Radio and the Online Media. CEO s of all the States/UTs documented the campaign undertaken by various media in their State/UT and accordingly names were recommended by CEOs. Media houses could also send their entries directly to ECI. Entries were evaluated on the basis of quality of campaign, the extent of its coverage and its impact on people, among other significant factors. 51. SVEEP III The project document on SVEEP- III, laying down the strategy for the voter awareness programme for the five year period of based on the consultations with the stakeholders including ministries, CSOs and partner departments was released in SVEEP Kit The SVEEP Kit was distributed to State Election Commission Offices, partners of Election Commission of India, Stakeholders, Media etc., who in turn used it to promote voter awareness and motivate people to vote in their cities and/or communities. It included a motivational pictorial booklet Proud to be a voter with different stories like Fun in Fair, Magic of Number 6, Swami Sir s advice, Right Identity, Visiting Delhi and My Vote, My Future. These stories connected elections and voting with every day activities and hence conveyed the message effectively. Election themed board games, 30 31