In an important initiative towards making democracy more empowered, participative and aware, the Chief Electoral Officer, Rajasthan in collaboration with the Election Commission of India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi and National Law University, Jodhpur, organised “International Conference on Elections, Media and Voter Education: Strengthening Democracy through Informed Participation”.
The international conference was attended by representatives of the Election Management Bodies of India, Georgia, Croatia, Uzbekistan, Nepal, Philippines and Guyana, media experts, academics, election officials and researchers and held in-depth discussions on important topics such as the changing role of media in democracy, voter education, digital communication, combatting fake news and strengthening public trust in democratic institutions.
Chief Electoral Officer Rajasthan Naveen Mahajan said that the real strength of democracy lies in conscious and active voters.
He said that in today's digital age, media has not only become a medium for disseminating information but has become an effective platform for strengthening democratic values, increasing confidence among citizens towards the electoral process and reducing the impact of misleading information.
He stressed on further strengthening the continuous coordination and dialogue between the media and the electoral institutions for a transparent, credible and participative electoral system. Tina Dabi, Collector, Tonk also participated in this conference.
Ashish Goel, Director General (Media), Election Commission said that both conscious voters and responsible media are equally necessary to strengthen democracy.
He informed that the Election Commission of India will now expand the Electoral Literacy Club (ELC) as a nationwide public awareness campaign. Under this, electoral literacy clubs will be established in every school of the country.
He also announced that 1,000 students from across the country will be honoured on the occasion of National Voters Day.
