President congratulates young voters on NVD

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : The Election Commission of India (ECI) celebrated the 8^th National Voters Day (NVD) in New Delhi on January 25, 2018. President of India Ram Nath Kovind graced the National function as the Chief Guest along with Minister of Law & JusticeRavi Shankar Prasad. This year’s celebrations revolved around the theme ‘Accessible Elections’, which expressed ECI’s pursuit of working towards making the electoral process more inclusive and friendly for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).

Addressing the gathering President Kovind said,” We have been celebrating National Voters Day on January 25 every year since 2011. The aim is to encourage our voters to participate enthusiastically in the democratic process. And that is why the relevance of this day is even more pronounced on the eve of Republic Day.”

The President congratulated young voters who have just turned 18 and got the right to vote for the first time. He said, “Our Constitution empowers an independent Election Commission. And our election process makes every vote important, with the right to equality and freedom. As such Indian democracy is known through the world for its maturity and stability.” He reminded that Developed Countries took many years to hand over the suffrage right to its citizens whereas the Indian Constitution empowered the Indian citizens in one stroke.

Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat informed that the Commission has taken several initiatives in its continued endeavour to encourage and enhance inclusive, informed and ethical electoral participation from all categories of voters with special focus on PwDs.

The President of India conferred the National Awards for the Best Electoral Practices to officers deputed in the election machinery. The President congratulated District Election Officials for conducting awareness campaigns successfully. The President lauded the use of e-platform for educating and reaching out to voters, according to a PIB release.

The NVD event also witnessed the felicitation of the National Champions of the National Election Quiz 2018. National Elections Quiz, the largest elections quiz in the world yet, had an astounding participation of 13.5 lakh students of 9-12^th standard from 38,000 schools across the country. The Zonals and Finals were organised in collaboration with Rajya Sabha Television.

The President also inaugurated the first edition of VoICE India – a biannual magazine which brings forth best practices, innovations and knowledge derived from practical experience and success stories of the election machinery that exists in every corner of India. The NVD function also officially marked the launch of Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs) in the nation.