Lok Sabha Question No. 4872 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-01
Subject: National Voters Day
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Dhanush M Kumar, Manjulata Mandal, C.N. Annadurai, Ganesan Selvam, Gautham Sigamani Pon

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT

## L O K    S A B H A UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4872

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, 01 st  APRIL, 2022

## NATIONAL VOTERS DAY

4872. SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI DHANUSH M. KUMAR:

SHRIMATI MANJULATA MANDAL:

SHRI C.N. ANNADURAI:

SHRI SELVAM G:

SHRI GAUTHAM SIGAMANI PON:

## Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the Government has observed National Voters Day, if so, the details  of  the  theme  of  the  event  along  with  the  programmes/events organized by the Government on this occasion;
- (b) whether the Government has launched awareness programme to enroll more and more eligible youth in the voters list and if so, the details thereof ;
- (c) the details of eligible youths enrolled in the voter list during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (d) the challenges faced by the government while enrolling eligible youths in the voters list; and
- (e) whether the number of women on the Electoral Roll of the country is far less than men and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the corrective steps taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

- (a), (b) and (d):    The Election Commission of India (ECI) has stated that the ECI organises  National  Voters  Day  every  year  on  25 th January.  The  relevant information is enclosed at Annexure-I & Annexure-II.
- (c):  The details of electors of 18-19 years age group enrolled during summary revision of electoral rolls of last three years. (i.e. SSR, 2020, 2021 & 2022), as furnished by the ECI are enclosed at Annexure-III.

(e):  As per the ECI, the finally published electoral roll, 2022 (w.r.t. 01.01.2022 as the  qualifying  date),  the  total  number  of  electors  in  India  is  95,24,81,459 (Annexure-IV).  Out  of  this,  the  total  number  of  male  electors  is  49,18,60,931 (51.64%)  and  the  total  number  of  female  electors  is  46,05,74,630  (48.35%). Further,  as  per  the  Projected  Population,  2022  (as  per  data  received  from States), the percentage of male and female population are approx. 51% and 49% respectively.  This indicates that enrolment of female electors in electoral roll is in the  lines  of  census  gender  ratio.    The  Gender  ratio  in  electoral  roll  has  been maintained  and  is  in  the  same  proportion  as  their  share  in  total  population. There is no question of lesser enrolment of women in electoral roll and therefore, no corrective steps seems required to be taken.

*******

## Note

National Voters' Day'' (NVD) is celebrated on January 25 every year since 2011. This day  also  marks  the  Commission's  foundation  day  in  1950.   In  its  twelfth  year,  the theme for  NVD 2022 was, ''Making Elections Inclusive, Accessible and Participative'' . It envisaged focus on ECI's commitment to facilitate active participation of voters during the elections and to make the complete process hassle free and a memorable experience for all categories of voters. The strategic framework for accessible and inclusive elections is planned to sensitize voters through education and  training, community  involvement  of  different sections of society, effective partnership with institutions and the creation of facilities to cater to the public needs of persons  with  disabilities  (PwDs)  with  a  view  to  increasing  their  participation  in  the electoral process.

Instructions to the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) were shared regarding celebration of  NVD  across  the  states  and  UTs  up  to  booth  level  focussing  on  the  theme  of ''Making Elections Inclusive, Accessible and Participative' keeping in mind the COVID appropriate  behaviour  and  guidelines  in  place.  Various  events/programmes  across States/UT's  were  organized.  Key  features  of  the  same  are  highlighted  as  under: (Detailed instructions may be seen at Annexure-A ) .

On similar lines, the Chief Secretaries of the State & UTs were directed regarding the administration of NVD pledge across offices of the state government.

Further, a video recording of Chief Election Commissioner's message on the eve of NVD is also sent to the Chief Election Officers of all the States/UTs. The same was suitably  disseminated  for  NVD  function  up  to  the  BLO  level  through  various  social media platforms.

On the day of NVD i.e. 25 th January 2022, Election Commission of India launched a publication 'Leap of Faith: Journey of Indian Elections'. The book narrates India's electoral history and the growth of representative and electoral principles in India as it evolved from the nineteenth to twenty first century.

## Annexure-I

Another  Publication 'Pledging  to  Vote  -  A  Decadal  Journey  of  The  National

Voters' Day in India' was also released. The book presents the journey of National Voters' Day celebrations by ECI from Diamond Jubilee celebration onwards.

A national voter awareness contest was also launched on the same day 'My Vote is my Future- Power of One Vote' .  The  aim  here  was  to  reiterate  the  importance  of every vote through creative expression.

National Awards for the Best Electoral Practises for the year 2021-22 were conferred on State and District level officers for their outstanding performance in the conduct of elections  in  different  spheres  such  as  IT  initiatives,  Security  Management,  Election Management, Accessible Elections  and  contribution  in  the  field  of  voter  awareness and  outreach. National  Awards  were  also  conferred  to  important  stakeholders  like government departments, ECI icons and media groups for their valuable contribution towards voters' awareness. During the function, newly enrolled voters were felicitated and handed over their Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) by the chief guests.

## ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA

## Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road, New Delhi - 110 001

No. 491/ECI/LET/FUNC/SVEEP-I/NVD/2021 2022

To,

Dated:11

The Chief Electoral Officers of all States & UTs

Sub: National Voters' Day (25 th January) 2022 - reg.

Sir/Madam,

I am directed to state that the 12 th National Voters' Day shall be celebrated across the country at State, District and Booth level on 25 th January 2022. The Theme for the 12 th NVD is 'Making Elections Inclusive, Accessible and Participative.'

You are requested to steer the NVD celebrations with wide publicity on the above mentioned  theme. The  functions  around  NVD  should  be  celebrated  keeping  in mind  the  COVID  appropriate  behaviour  and  guidelines  in  place.  All  efforts should be made to celebrate the festival in an Online mode.

The  NVD  celebrations  in  the  State,  as  in  the  past,  shall  include  the  following components in addition to already existing plan at the CEO and the DEO level.

## Comprehensive Communication plan:

-  Various  events/  programmes  across  the  state  shall  be  organised  focussing  on the above mentioned theme. Further a comprehensive communication plan shall be  developed  by  issuing  necessary  Print,  TV,  Radio  advertisements,  social media  campaigns,  field  programmes  and  interpersonal  communication  (as  per Covid norms), webinars/ seminars etc.
- Propagation of NVD theme through various Government schemes and programs.
-  The NVD theme & related messages in the form of posters and banners should be prominently displayed in the offices of the CEO, DEO, ERO and the VFCs.
- A  Print  Advertisement  shall  be  brought  out  on  25 th January  highlighting  the theme.

## Engagement with state/ district Icons:

th January,

-  The  State/  District  Icons  may  be  engaged  (through  recording  of  audio-video messages)  to  spread  awareness,  about  the  Commission's  initiatives  towards making elections inclusive, accessible and participative.
- All  States/UTs  should  take  appropriate  efforts  to  nominate  inspiring  and  non partsian  personalities  from  all  walks  of  life  to  be  the  Election  Icon.  Persons  with disabilities,  senior citizens,  transgender and personalities from other marginalized sections shall be encouraged.

## Partnership and Collaborations:

- The  CEOs/  DEOs  shall  ensure  partnerships  and  collaborations  with  various Government departments such as banks, Post offices, Railways, Panchayati Raj institutions, Civil Bodies etc.
- The Corporate bodies, Civil Society Organisations and others may be engaged with, for organising various events like competitions (essay, debate etc), webinars etc in the run upto the NVD.
- Also various departments/ organisations/ bodies may be encouraged to administer  NVD  pledge  on  the  National  Voters'  Day,  and  the  same  may  be uploaded on their social media handles/ website using hashtag #NVD2022.

## Social media engagement activities:

- CEO/ DEO office may engage with various social media agencies, to create and develop the creative content for the NVD and get it uploaded on their respective social media handles.
- All  the  activities,  by  various  departments/  organisations  etc.  to  be  uploaded  on their respective social media handles.
- The hashtag #NVD2022 could be used while uploading the content on the social media accounts.
1. Key  Activities: All  SVEEP  activities  related  to  NVD  must  be  conducted  in  an Online mode as per COVID appropriate behaviour and guidelines/norms in place.
- a) Activities at Booth Level:
- i. The Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to organise an event (Online mode) at each polling station area and shall felicitate newly registered voters appropriately, also hand over the EPIC to new electors.
- ii. Video and other creatives to be shared extensively with all the households/ participants  through  WhatsApp  groups  and  other  media.  Further  other awareness films/ material as prepared by State or District on Postal Ballot,

Assured Minimum facilities at Polling Stations, EVM/VVPAT, Voter Helpline App,  Ethical  Voting  etc.  can  also  be  shown  at  the  ceremony,  in  local languages. Please note that creatives are to be made available in accessible formats,  in  line  with  the  current  theme  of  NVD  to  make  the  information available to all stakeholders.

- iii. Further NVD pledge to be administered to all the people present during the event, through an Online mode. Further the copy of the pledge also to be circulated over Whatsapp groups.
- iv. DEO may provide the logistics required  for  the  brief  ceremony  in  each polling station area.
- b)  Activities at District HQs:
- i. The DEO shall organise the NVD function, in an Online mode, at the District headquarters in association with various institutions/ organisations such as Panchayat  Raj  institutions,  Academic  institutions,  Civil  Society  groups, organisations of youth volunteers like NSS, NCC, Scouts & Guides, NYKS, media etc.
- ii. Newly registered voters shall be facilitated by handing over the EPIC Card during  NVD function.
- iii. Further NVD pledge to be administered to all the people present during an Online event. Also the pledge to be circulated over whatsapp groups.
- iv. Awareness films on Postal Ballot facility, Assured Minimum Facilities, EVM VVPAT, Assured Minimum facilities at Polling Stations, EVM/VVPAT, Voter Helpline App, Ethical Voting etc. in local language shall be shown. Creatives to be made available in accessible formats, in line with the current theme of NVD to make the information available to all stakeholders.
- v. These material to be shared through WhatsApp group of various stakeholders.
- c) Activities at State HQs:
- i. CEO organizes NVD function at the State capital, in association with Media, Civil Society, Volunteer Groups, State Administration, State Election Commission & Corporates etc.
- ii. Awareness films on Postal Ballot facility, Assured Minimum Facilities, EVM VVPAT, Assured Minimum facilities at Polling Stations, EVM/VVPAT, Voter Helpline  App,  Ethical  Voting  etc.  in  local  language  shall  be  shown  and distributed over WhatsApp groups.

iii. Newly  registered  voters  shall  be  facilitated  by  handing  over  the  EPIC Card  during  NVD function. iv. Further NVD pledge to be administered to all the people present during the event (Online/ offline as per Covid norms). v. Sign Language  Interpreters to be  deployed  during  the function in accordance with the present theme. The venue of the NVD functions to be made accessible as far as possible. vi. Necessary advertisement in print / electronic media to be issued, along with hoardings and banners across different locations across the state. vii. Deployment of  dedicated  staff  at  Block,  Sub-division  and  District  levels may be done to effectively undertake NVD related activities as directed. BLOs  shall be trained about their role for NVD  activities by the EROs/AEROs, as directed. As the theme of the NVD, this  year, is making elections inclusive, accessible and participative, it is expected that events would be organised  by  involving PwDs,  Women,  Senior  citizens  and  Vulnerable sections of the society. Further, efforts should be made to popularise PwD app through various CSOs working in the field. Also awareness regarding Assured Minimum Facility & Postal ballot provision would be ensured, through various events. Looking  into  the  ongoing  pandemic,  efforts  should  be  made  to conduct all events through an Online platform. Offline Events, if any, shall be  conducted  at  accessible  venues  and  sign  language  interpreters  must  be engaged to reach out to all stakeholders. The preparations for the NVD may be closely monitored by the office of the  CEO/DEOs.  All  COVID  protocols  issued  by  statutory  authorities  must  be strictly followed.

Yours Sincerely,

(ANUJ CHANDAK) JOINT DIRECTOR

## Note

Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation', also known by the acronym SVEEP,  is  ECI's  flagship  program  to  achieve  this  overarching  goal  of  Electoral Participation. It has three primary objectives increasing electoral participation, promoting ethical and informed voting and continuous electoral education. It is ECI's constant  endeavour  that  every  election  is  free,  fair,  accessible,  participative  and inclusive.

As part  of  ECI's  advance  planning,  much  ahead  of  election,  a  baseline  Knowledge Attitude and Practices (KAP) Survey is conducted in order to identify and assess gaps if any. This also helps to build in state wise, district wise, constituency wise and booth wise SVEEP strategies since there cannot be any one size fits all approach to this issue considering the myriad socio economic, geographical and ethnic diversities in India.

Enrolment  of  voters  and  purification  of  electoral  roll  is  a  major  component  of  the SVEEP program. Special campaigns are launched before election for citizens to verify their  names  in  the  electoral  roll,  make  changes  in  particulars,  new  registration  and corrections. VVIP programme was one such elaborate program undertaken through multiple  channels in order to correct and update the electoral roll. Besides this,  the Commission also encourages use of the digital initiatives like NVSP and Voter Portal for easy registration and access to voter services at the click of a button. 1950 -single, unified  Help  line  was  also  strengthened  and  made  a  significant  part  of  SVEEP creatives and advertisements to reach out to the maximum number of people.

As a part of Special Summary Revision 2022 following measures were taken: Detailed instructions to CEOs at Annexure-C.

1.  Print  Advertisements  have  been  issued  across  the  country  through  CEO  offices and ECI as well.
2.  An  elaborate  Electronic  campaign  on  TV  and  Radio  and  360 0 communication through different media vehicles was carried out by CEO/DEO offices, across the country in  respective of  languages
3.  Video  Messages  from  State  Icons  and  dedicated  social  Media  Posts  were uploaded on the Digital Media and promoted through a vast ECI network.

## Annexure-II

SVEEP  undertakes its campaigns based on an understanding of differential perspectives and requirements of diverse set of people Hence, several campaigns are targeted  at  the  youth,  women,  persons  with  disabilities,  service  voters,  overseas voters  and  many  others  in  order  to  foster  a  vibrant  interaction  with  the  youth  and future voters, campus ambassadors are appointed ECI also partners with Universities, CSOs,  NSS,  NYKS  in  order  to  have  a  constant  engagement  with  the  youth Appreciating that the idea of civic responsibility must be inculcated young, ECI has also developed  a  repository of children's material in the form of  Chunav  ki kahahniyan,  cartoon  strips  and  the  recently  launched  Chalo  Karen  Matdaan  which was developed in collaboration with Amar Chitra Katha.

ECI  appoints  National  and  State  SVEEP  icons  personalities  whose  inspiring  life stories motivate the voters with their dedication, commitment and enthusiasm. Icons like Dr Nirukumar, Mary Kom record their messages to the people which are beamed across various mediums to encourage people to come out to vote.

Electoral  literacy  clubs  have  emerged  as  a  powerful  medium  of  connecting  to  the young  voters.  ELCs  focus  on  participatory  activities,  games,  films  etch  in  order  to familiarize students with the electoral process, instill the ideas of ethical and informed voting and ensure a wholesome citizenship participation till now more than 7.40 lakh ELCs have been established in the country

ECI  also  comes  out  with  several  publications  which  carry  stories  from  the  field, election accounts and tales of grit and determination of polling officials, responses of voters  pictures  and  photographs  which  convey  more  than  words  could  of  the enthusiasm of the voters from the length and breadth of the country. My vote matters is  one  such  publication  which  carries  articles  on  various  themes  of  contemporary interest and stories from the states.

Further initiatives on SVEEP programme provided in Annexure-B.

## SVEEP

SVEEP is designed according to the socio-economic, cultural and demographic profile  of  the  state  as  well  as  history  of  electoral  participation  in  previous  rounds  of elections.  SVEEP works on the three pronged strategy of Information, Motivation & Facilitation (IMF). The core interventions like Situation Analysis through Knowledge, Attitude  and  Practices  (KAP)  Surveys  and  existing  data,  chalking  out  targeted interventions, both communication and facilitation related, monitoring and evaluation, some of the recent and past initiatives taken up are as follows:

## 1.  Recently Launched initiatives

- a) Letter to New Voters: The Commission in the year 2021 has taken an initiative to connect with the youth by providing a specially deigned EPIC kit on  their  enrolment.  The  Commission  has  directed  all  DEOs  to  issue  a personalized letter along with Voter Id card to newly enrolled electors. This will also include a Voter Guide and a Pledge.

The Commission has designed this letter along with a Voter Guide giving out complete details of the Voting Process, EVM & VVPAT Information, COVID Protocols & BLO details among other important information. It also includes a feedback option to receive first hand inputs from young voters.

- b) National  Voter  Awareness  Contest: On  the  occasion  of  12th  National Voters'  Day,  the  Election  Commission  of  India  launched  a  national  voter awareness  contest  'My  Vote  is  My  Future-  Power  of  On  Vote' to reiterate the importance of every vote through creative expression. The  National  Voter  Awareness  Contest  by  the  Election  Commission  of India's  SVEEP  (Systematic  Voters'  Education  and  Electoral  Participation) program taps into the talent and creativity of people, while also strengthening democracy through their active involvement. Open to all age groups,  the  contest  aims  at  celebrating  ideas  and  content  curated  on  the theme of the importance of every single vote in a democracy. The national contest  has  five  categories  of  contest  -  Slogan  writing,  song  composition, video making, poster design and Quiz Contest.

## Annexure B

- c) Pocket size- Voter Guide Booklet: A pocket size version of the voter guide is  being  provided  to  every  household  in  Poll  Going  States  for  ease  of information on election related queries like searching name in the voter list, information on EVM-VVPAT, helpline numbers, Assured Minimum Facilities at polling stations and COVID safety measures amongst others.
- d)  Furthermore, with booth  as the focal point for  SVEEP  strategy,  the Commission has directed the states to strengthen Booth Level Action Plans and to conduct Minimum level of SVEEP activities to inform and educate all voters.  This      include  explanatory  information  displays  regarding  EVMVVPAT, Voter Registration, Ethical Voting & IT Apps at all polling stations and crowded locations in the assembly constituency.  The efforts would be made to give a festival look to each polling station through a minimum level of  décor.  Low  voter  turnout  Polling  Stations  have  been  identified  with reasons  for  low  turnout  analyzed  and  targeted  interventions  planned  in accordance to meet the objective of 'No Voter to be Left Behind'
- e)  SVEEP 4.0 strategy Document: Systematic Voters' Education & Electoral Participation (SVEEP) is a multi-intervention Programme that reaches out to educate  citizens  about  the  electoral  process  in  order  to  increase  their awareness & participation.  With the national elections envisaged in 2024, the  Commission  is in  the  process  of  developing  a SVEEP  National Strategic Communication Roadmap (SVEEP 4.0) document . This strategy document will also guide the states to develop their next phase of State specific SVEEP Strategies and Action plans.
- f) National  Voters'  Day  (NVD)celebration  2022 :-  NVD  which  marks    the Foundation  Day  of  Election  Commission  of  India,  is    celebrated  on  25 th January, every year. The celebrations take place at over ten lakh locations across the country,  including polling stations areas, sub divisions, divisions, district  and  state  headquarters.  NVD  was  started  in  2011  and  since  then, NVD  has been institutionalized as an annual features to celebrate democracy and electoral participation in the country.
- g) NVD 2022 celebrations at New Delhi :- In view of safety, NVD celebrations all over the country was  a combination of both physical and virtual events.

While Hon'ble Vice President Sh. M. Venkaiah Naidu was the Chief Guest, Union Minister for  law  and  justice,  Shri  Kiren  Rijiju  graced  the  function  as Guest of Honour during the NVD celebration in New Delhi.  During the event National  voter  Awareness Contest  was launched based  on the theme of My Vote is My Future, Power of One Vote, with an aim at crowd sourcing innovative content from across the country while reiterating the importance of  every  single  vote  in  a  democracy.  Besides  ' Leap of Faith' journey  of Indian Elections to  mark  the  75 th year of India's  Independence  and Pledging  to  Vote'  A  Decadal  Journey  of  the  National  Voters'  Day  in India in India was launched which includes addresses of the dignitaries who have  graced  the  occasion as  the  Chief  Guest,  Speeches  of  CECs, Messages,  Curtain  Raiser,  Press  note  as  well  as  the  National  Award winners over the years. National awards were also given by the Law Minister Sh.  Kiren  Rijiju  to  District  Election  Officers/  Superintendent  of  Police/Govt Depts/Media  Agency  for  their  significant  contribution  in  the  recent  held elections in 2021. An interactive digital Multimedia Exhibition on the theme was also put up during the event.

## 2.  Electoral Literacy Clubs:-

- a)  On the 8th National Voters' Day of January 25, 2018, the Election Commission of India (ECI) took a landmark step towards the cause of electoral literacy with its initiative -'Mainstreaming of Electoral Literacy through Educational Institutions,  Organizations  and  Communities  in  India',  under  its  Systematic Voters'  Education  &  Electoral  Participation  (SVEEP)  Programme.    Formed  in schools & colleges (Electoral Literacy Clubs), Communities (Chunav Pathshalas)  and  organizations(Voter  Awareness  Forums)  across  the  country, these  clubs  of  learning  taught  the  value  of  democracy  and  one's  role  in  it through hands on experience to develop and strengthen the culture of electoral participation. Till now 9,07,938 ELCs have been established across the country.

Revitalizing Electoral Literacy Clubs during Covid period through use of online mode of communication, is also a major focus of the Commission. With regards to  the  same,  Guidelines  for  Online  Activities  at  ELCs  have  been  shared  with State Chief Electoral Offices recently.

- b) Voter Awareness Forums (VAFs): On lines of ELC in educational institutions and Chunav Pathshala in Communities, Voter Awareness Forums (VAFs) are informal forums for generating discussions and awareness around the electoral process,  on  the  how,  what  and  where  of  registration  &  voting  through  the medium  of  real-time  activities.    Through  VAFs  in  Government  Departments, Government  and  Non-government  Organizations  as  well  as  in  Corporates, Election  Commission  of  India  aims  to  spread  voter  awareness  and  facilitate voter education.

The  activities  of  VAF  shall  be  coordinated  by  Executive  Committee.  The Committee  shall  be  elected  by  the  members  of  the  VAF.  Existing  Clubs  like Recreation Club, Sports Club etc or similar bodies in an organization can also act as the Executive Committee of the VAF.

## 3.  Publications

- a) Leap of Faith: 'Leap of faith : Journey  of Indian Election' is an offering from Election Commission of India to mark the 75 th year of India's independence. It narrates the story of election as an institution in India from the colonial times to 21 st century. The title resonates well with the journey of elections in India-It was a 'Leap of  faith'  that India undertook in implementing universal adult franchise when barely one-fifth of her population was literate (1951), to present scenario (2020-21) when elections have been conducted safely and successfully amidst COVID pandemic.

Elections belong to all of us. This book will help readers to gain the perspective in ensuring free, fair, accessible, participative, festive, inclusive and accessible elections.

- b) Pledging to Vote' A Decadal Journey of the National Voters' Day in India: pledging to Vote- A decadal Journey of NVD in India' presents a vivid picture of NVD celebrations  since  its  inception.  It  includes  addresses  of  the  dignitaries who have graced the occasion as the Chief Guest, speeches of Chief Election Commissioners, Messages, Curtain Raiser, Press Note as well as the National Award winners over the  years.  NVD's  Journey  is  a  continuum  as  an  integral part of electoral democracy in the country. The publication with its pictorials is sure  to  inspire  all  especially  personnel  who  were  as  'Frontline  Warriors'  of Electoral Democracy.
- c)  Crossing  the  Barriers:Crossing  the  Barriers:  Accessibility  Initiatives  2021 takes  the  reader  through  the  'Journey  of  Accessible  Elections'  followed  by 'Ensuring  COVID  safe  and  inclusive  elections  through  Postal  Ballot.    The chapters  on  'Guiding  Principles'  and  'Legislative  Initiatives',  as  also  the  'Lok Sabha  Elections  2019:  Good  Practices'  highlight  multiple  layers  within  the genre of Accessibility, that were explored by the ECI and the stakeholders for a participative and inclusive election. The book also showcases the 'Accessibility initiatives taken up by states/UTs.. Moreover, the suggestions and recommendations  by  the  Disability  Sector  and  Civil  Service  Organizations (CSOs)/ NGOs all over India, on making the elections more accessible provide a  comprehensive  view,  The  last  chapter  on  'way  forward'  chalks  out  the strategy on accessible elections for future.
- d)  Amar ChitraKatha: Popularizing the importance of voting among the masses, an  edutainment  comic  booklet,  with  an  engaging  narrative,  graphic  summary pages and quizzes and puzzles is being developed by Amar Chitra Katha on behalf of Election Commission of India.  The comic book includes information provided in a story format to engage and interest readers of all age groups.
- e) Chunav Ki Kahaniya: A set of 12 illustrated storybooks developed from real life stories  of  voters  is  to  be  published  and  distributed  in  ELCs  and  other institutions.  These are also being popularized on major social media platforms like twitter, instagram and facebook.  Adapted in to a storybook format.
- f) NLU Report : A  Joint  Research  Project  of  NLU-IIIDEM on 'Electoral Literacy Project in India: Implementation, Assessment  and  Impact  Analysis'  was conducted  to  analyse  the  policy,  implementation  and  impact  of  Electoral Literacy Project in 3 states of West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Meghalaya.  The first phase of the project is complete and based on its findings, the Commission will formulate strategic interventions to further expand the ELC program.
- g) Belief  in  the  Ballot  : Belief  in  the  Ballot  is  a  book  having  101  real  Human Stories  from  Indian  Elections,  documenting  the  efforts  of  faceless,  nameless and unsung heroes of the Indian elections. First volume was launched in the year 2017,  followed  by  second  volume,  which  was  launched  by  the  Hon'ble President during the NVD, 2020 function.
- h) Coffee  Table  Book " Unfolding  Indian  Elections:  Journey  of  the  Living Democracy' :The  book  mainly  is  a  collection  of  photographs  -  elections captured through the lens. It cover various aspects of the election process, from registration of names on electoral rolls to voting, from planning of elections to notification of polls, from  training of personnels  to voter  education  and awareness, from movement of election materials and personnel to setting up of polling stations, from nominations to announcement of results. First volume was launched  in  the  year  2017.  The  second  volume  of  Coffee  Table  Book  was launched during 12 th National Voters' Day in the month of January, 2022.
- i) VoICE Network, VoICE International and MY VOTE MATTERS: In congruence  with  the  overall  vision  and  spirit  of  the  Network,  the  magazines serve as invaluable repositories on content pertaining to electoral literacy, voter information, communication and education, presenting in-depth articles, essays and  academic  work  on  special  initiatives  from  member/associate  EMBs  and International Organizations.

VoICE International has covered themes as varied as- Empowering Young and Future  Voters,  Voter  Education  for  Enhancing  Gender  Participation,  Special Initiatives  for  Enhancing  Participation  of  Persons  with  Disabilities,  Enabling Overseas Electors and Service Voters and  Using Digital Technology and Social Media for Voter Education. Additionally, the magazines covered a range of  electoral  events  and  happenings  around  the  world  and  carried  interactive content in the form of Quizzes and Glossary of Electoral Terms.

Serving  as  a  vital  repository  of  resources  on  electoral  literacy,  education, information and communication from around the world, the VoICE.NET portal presently bears new features (like the VoICE Box) and has been made more vibrant  and  dynamic.  The  portal  is  maintained  and  updated  regularly  by  the SVEEP Division.

## 4.  360 Degree Media Communication

- a) Hello  Voters  (Web  Radio): The Hon'ble  President  of  India  officially  launched the Hello Voters (Web Radio) on NVD 2021 to expand the scope of its digital outreach  interventions.  Witnessing  a  rapid  shift  towards  greater  reliance  on digital  media  which  got  further  accelerated  after  the  onset  of  the  COVID

pandemic, web radio has also become very famous. The SVEEP Programme took notice of this change in media consumption pattern of a large section of the electorate and decided to seize the opportunity.

Web Radio 'Hello Voters' is an initiative of Election Commission of India, which is a 24x7 online web radio service will stream voter awareness programmes on the  website  of  Election  Commission  of  India.  The  edutainment  programming style  of  Radio  Hello  Voters  has  been  envisaged  to  match  that  of  popular  FM radio  format  and  will  include  songs,  drama,  discussions,  podcasts,  spots, parodies etc. from different states from all over the country .

- b) Voter Awareness Campaign through Community Radio Stations: ECI tried  expanding its  outreach  by  leveraging NIOS Community Radio through a series  named  'Mat  Evam  Matdan,  Kare  Loktantra  Ka  Nirman'  from  June  to November 2017. This series on elections was a joint initiative of ECI and NIOSCR where different aspects of elections and the election processes would be explored.  National  Institute  of  Open  Schooling  (NIOS)  is  an  autonomous institution under Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) Government  of  India  and  is  the  largest  open  schooling  organization  in  the world.

Each of the one-hour episode was aired monthly and incorporated interviews/ panel discussion with expert(s) along with small snippets of different creatives developed  by  ECI  to  spread  awareness  on  importance  of  elections  such  as songs,  jingles,  audio/  video  plays,  statements  by  icons,  advertisements  etc. This  made  the  radio  programme  even  more  informative  and  interesting. Moreover, a question was posed at the  end of each programme and first 25 correct entries were given a prize by Election Commission of India. The series was  also  aired  from  167  community  radios  pan  India  through  Federation  of Community Radio Association (FCRS).

- c) National Media Campaign:For the first time, a comprehensive national media campaign  was  taken  up  for  Lok  Sabha  2019.  Broadly  all  major  topics  were covered  and  after  discussions  and  deliberation  the  theme  of  'celebration'  or 'Maha tyohar' was chosen. Based on past years' experience including the KAP survey,  messages  were  created  around  the  12  identified  topics.  A  separate campaign targeting Persons with Disabilities was also planned to be disseminated in accessible format to cover all disabilities.
2. National campaign aimed at supplementing the campaign by CEOs and DEOs. Some states translated the national campaign content in regional language and disseminated, while many others developed their own campaign content more relevant to the audience.
- d)  Indian Railways Network: Going an extra mile, the Indian Railways and the Election Commission of India collaborated to vinyl wrap trains with the message #GoVote in Lok Sabha Election 2019. Thus, the north-south Kerala Express, Himsagar  Express,  east-west  Guwahati  Express  and  the  Howrah  Express, traversing the length and breadth of India were selected along with a host of regional  trains  like  Jhelum  Express,  Konark  Express  and  Diksha  Bhumi Express to spread the message of voter awareness far and wide. The beautiful vinyl wrap showcased the national icons of ECI namely Aamir Khan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Mary Kom, state icons as well as common people, inspiring all to vote. Each train was flagged off by the concerned CEO/DEO at the stations it crossed as it chugged along with the message.
- e) Workshop  for  Radio  Jockeys  (RJs): Election  Commission  of  India  had organized  the  workshop  for  Radio  Jockeys  (RJs)  of  leading  FM  channels including  All  India  Radio  and  various  private  FM  channels  in  the  month  of January, 2019. Total 19 Radio jockeys from major FM channels viz. Big FM, Red  FM,  Fever  104  FM,  Radio  Nasha,  Ishq  FM  and  Radio  City  attended  2 hours interactive session, where they participated in activities for dissemination of voter education.
5. The workshop is a part of the engagement taken up by the commission with the major stakeholders. FM radio is one of the important medium, which connects the  voters  with  the  election  machinery.  The  workshop  was  organized  to familiarize the Radio Jockeys with the election process so that they can help in wide and accurate dissemination of information to their listeners.
- a) Red  FM: A  nationwide  voter  awareness  and  motivation  campaign  titled  'Ab Watan  Dabayega  Button'  93.5  RED  FM  was  launched  during  Lok  Sabha Election 2019. Several RED FM RJs were identified as Youth Ambassadors in their respective cities by State/UT CEO Offices and they were given trainings to share  information  about  registration,  doubts  and  queries  to  an  audience  of 14,21,000 listeners every day! RED FM also organized road shows, registration and awareness drives to promote voter awareness and collaborated with Red

Bus to provide free travel vouchers to those travelling to their native place to vote.

- b) Social  Media: ECI  forayed  into  social  media  in  2016,  specifically  for  voter education.  The  experiment  was  slowly  scaled  up  and  in  January  2018,  ECI formally launched its official Facebook Page.  A dedicated Twitter handle of the spokesperson to give updates to media already existed but otherwise there was no other presence on any other social media platforms. Ahead of Lok Sabha Election,  the  Commission  launched  the  Twitter  handle  and  Instagram  page specifically for voter education and outreach. In LS 2019 election, the hashtag #GotInked  was  popularized  with  voters  sharing  their  selfies  with  their  inked fingers after casting their votes in LS 2019.
5.  Other Novel Initiatives
- a) e-EPIC:The  Hon'ble  President  of  India  officially  launched  the  e-EPIC  on National Voters Day (NVD) - 2021. It is a move by the Commission to provide ease  of  access  to  voters.      E-EPIC  is  downloadable  on  mobile  or  in  a  self printable  form  on  the  computer.  A  voter  can  thus  store  it  in  his/her  mobile, upload  it  in  digi-locker  or  print  it  and  self  laminate  it.  This  will  initially  be  in addition to normal photo voter slips and the e-EPIC will have two QR codes: one with static data of photo and demography and the second with details of serial number part number, name of AC and address etc.
- b) Inclusion of PwDs in the Electoral Process: Various measures have been taken  up  to  facilitate  participation  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  in  the  electoral process. These include facilitation of PwDs at the polling station through ramps, volunteers, wheel chairs special arrangement etc.

Election Commission of India recently celebrated   12th National Voters Day on 25th  January  2022.  The  theme  for  this  year's  NVD  is 'Making  Elections Inclusive, Accessible and Participative' , envisages focus on ECI's commitment to facilitate active participation of voters during the elections and to make  the  complete  process  hassle  free  and  a  memorable  experience  for  all categories of voters.

Also series of consultations for Inclusion of PwDs in the Electoral Process were conducted  across  the  country-  in  Districts  and  States  to  identify  barriers, challenges, and ways to overcome them and draft strategies to increase their participation.  The  4th  National  Advisory  Committee  on  Accessible  Elections meeting was held recently as rechristened National Conference on Accessible Elections, 2021 on 21st September, 2021 To  mark  the  completion  of  two  years  of  Chairmanship  of  the  Association  of World  Election  Bodies  (A-WEB),  Election  Commission  of  India   organised  an International  Webinar  on  26th  November  2021  on  the  theme  'Enhancing electoral  participation  of  Women,  Persons  with  Disabilities  (PwDs)  &  Senior citizen Voters: Sharing Best

Practices and New Initiatives'.

The webinar was attended by over 100 delegates from 24 countries, 4

International organisations and 20 diplomats.

- c) Targeting Service  Voters: Consultations  and  meetings  have  been  held  with stakeholders since 2015 to enhance participation of Service Voters, mainly the defence and paramilitary personnel. A detailed SVEEP strategy was developed in  2017  for  the  Service  Voters  and  interventions  rolled  out.  Various  wings  of Armed Forces and Paramilitary have been coordinated with to monitor their part of  the  action  plan.  CEOs  have  rolled  out  the  plan  in  respective  cantonment areas to reach the target audience.

As  an  important  component  of  the  strategy,  to  promote  electoral  registration and  voting  through  postal  ballot  by  members  of  the  Indian  armed  forces,  an informative  and  motivational  film  was  produced  through  NFDC.  The  film consists of vivid action-packed visuals which were shot at actual locations so that  it  resonates  with  the  lives  of  armed  personnel.  There  is  an  inspirational song  with  upbeat  music  towards  the  end  of  the  film  which  has  become  very popular. Along with the film, an informative brochure and dedicated posters for different  armed  forces  such  as  Coast  Guards,  Army,  Navy,  Air  Force,  CRPF etc.  were  also  produced and dispatched to their centers in large numbers for dispersal.

- d) Gaming  and  Voter  Education:While  LS  2014  saw  ECI  venturing  into edutainment  for  the  first  time  through  development  of  board  games  and computer  games,  second  initiative  in  this  direction  was  taken  up  when  for Chunav  Pathshala  (ELC  Community)  it  was  decided  to  devise  some  floor games to  engage  rural  community  set  of  6  floor  games  was  developed  with
2. Lady Irwin College, Department of Development Communication & Extension, incorporating important learnings/messages.
- e)  Voter Verification and Information Programme (VVIP):Election Commission of India launched a Voter Verification and Information Programme (VVIP) for citizens for verifications of their names, new registrations, changes in the voter details and corrections in the Voter Id Cards post General Elections 2019. ECI enabled various channels for this VVIP programme and also set up contact  centers  in  all  districts  across  India  that  were  equipped  with  latest information and telecom infrastructure to help the callers.
- f) SVEEP Kits:These contain resource material such as guide books, booklets with motivating stories, distributed to SVEEP Nodal Officers for the purpose of dissemination  in  ELCs  across  the  State  and  District.  These  kits  will  contain interesting  games about elections and awareness as well.
- g)  Interactive School Engagement Programme:The Interactive School Engagement (ISE) programme was the pre-cursor to the ELC project. ISE was conceptualized to target the future voters studying in schools so as to sensitize them  about  the  electoral  process  in  general  and  about  the  registration  and voting  procedure  in  particular.  It  was  carried  out  in  run-up  to  the  National Voters' Day 2017 which had the theme 'Empowering Young and Future Voters' and  the  same  was  the  focus  of  the  Commission  for  the  year.  ISE  was  also meant  to  provide a platform to connect  future voters with the election machinery.
- h) Topic on 'Indian Elections' launched on QuizUp App:Empowering Young and Future Electors, ECI launched a new topic- Indian Elections, on the hugely popular  gaming  app-  Quiz  Up.  The  topic  is  available  on  the  app  for  both Android and iOS users.

Millennium Voters Initiative : During the Summary Revision w.r.t. 1.1.2018, ECI took up a special drive to enroll the newly eligible voters, those in the age of 18-19 years. A unique concept was developed -Millennium Voters. Those born on 1 st January 2000 and  popularly  termed  Millennium  babies  turn  eligible  to  become  an  elector  in  the ongoing Summary Revision of the Roll. 1.1.2018. These electors were termed Millennium Voters around 74K children are born every day. While encouraging the millennium individuals the campaign aimed to also attract others who are eligible to become electors especially in the 18-19 years age group, where on an average the enrolment remains below 40% of the eligible population. Identifying them through Panchayat  Office  records,  Hospitals  and  Registrar/Sub  Registrar  (Birth  & Death), DEO/CEO's office also invited  Millennium Individuals through their  website, Social  Media  pages.  Beginning  with  the  first-stage  identification,  the  subsequent campaign outreach involved micro-engagement initiatives including- Doorstep visit by Booth  Level  Officers  (BLOs),  issuing  of  EPICs  and  Millennium  Voter  badges  on National  Voters'  Day  functions  at  the  National,  State  and  District  Level,  felicitating them with personalized certificates signed by the concerned DEO and involvement via social media.

## ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA

## Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road, New Delhi-110001

No.491/ECI/LET/FUNC/SVEEP-I/SSR/2021

Dated:   2

nd September, 2021

To

The Chief Electoral Officers of all States/UTs

Subject: SVEEP for Special Summary Revision of Photo Electoral Rolls with reference to 1 st January, 2022 as the qualifying date -regarding Sir/Madam,

I am directed to refer to the upcoming Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls  with reference to 1 st January 2022 as the qualifying date and convey that the Commission has directed that all CEOs should launch a comprehensive campaign for the universal enrolment of all eligible citizens and de-duplication of entries in the electoral roll by drawing up a plan of action, based on the following:

## I. Overall Objectives:

- a. EP ratio on the electoral rolls to match the 18+ population as per census
- b. Gender ratio on rolls to match the gender ratio as per census
- c. To increase enrolment of Service Personnel in the electoral roll
- d. To increase enrolment of overseas Indian electors in the roll
- e. Registration of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in the Electoral Roll to match with the census data of 18+ PwDs of each state
- f. To increase the percentage of enrolment in the newly eligible 18-19 years age group from existing 50% to nearer 80%
- g. Visible improvement in the enrolment of people from marginalised groups and communities (Inclusion)

## II. Strategy and Implementation

- A. Gaps at Micro-level and Targeted intervention
- a) Analysis at AC and PS level - to detect gaps in enrolment
- b) Identification of groups, communities as at I(g) above with lowest representation at AC/PS level
- c) Utilisation  of  Electoral  Literacy Clubs at  schools, college level and community level
- d) Actively participation of members of Voter Awareness Forums
- e) Holding of regular press meets
- f) Popularization of Voter Helpline Mobile App for online filling of application

## B. Youth enrolment (including newly eligible)

- a) Strengthening Campus Ambassadors system, providing a platform for exchange of information moderated by an official from CEO's office.
- b) Higher involvement of Nodal officers from Campuses in enrolment drive
- c) Special drive for enrolment of non-student youth in this age-group
- d) Coordinate with NSS and NYKS for reaching out to youth widely
- e) Make 'Youth Voter Festival' a part of the Calendar ahead of summary revision, in

August/September

## C. Gender Gap

- a) Coopting media and field formations to enroll women
- b) Targeting  young  girls  in  educational  institutions  for  enrolment  with  help  of Campus Ambassadors
- c) Targeting housewives and women engaged in labour in cities in factories, small industrial establishments, commercial establishments and textile mills.
- d) Using SHGs and Cooperatives of women to spread awareness
- e) Special camps for enrolment of women

## D. Persons with Disabilities

- a) Prepare database of PwDs and maintain the information in the BLO register on their disability to help in facilitation and facilitate their registration in the electoral roll
- b) Special  camp  and  campaign  may  be  taken  up  to  register  PwDs  and  such camps widely publicised
- c) Identify  Community  Radio networks or  magazines, channels, etc for PwDs to partner. Use programmes on AIR, DD and private radio and Cable TV to reach out to PwDs
- d) Identify credible CSOs working for PwDs and reach out through them
- e) CEO and DEO Website have to be disabled friendly; adhere to Level AA of the Web

Content Accessibility Guidelines

## E. Inclusion

- a) Identify marginal groups and segments and their details within the Constituency
- b) Design  educational  material  for  identified  segments  or  groups  like  Migrant labourers, Sex workers, Third Gender, Homeless, Nomads etc
- c) Identify  credible  CSOs  and  partners  to  reach  out  to  the  identified  groups  and segments
- d) Outreach with help of partners with special registration camps
- e) Design special awareness material for Tribal Communities in the region in their dialect

## F. Service Electors

- a) Special awareness and registration camps for Defence personnel disseminating information on enrolment as General or Service Voter
- b) Training Nodal Officers from defence as Resource Persons for dissemination of information on the entire process of registration and voting
- c) Special campaign for wives of service personnel
- d) Tie up with local AIR and DD on their special broadcasts for Defence personnel to  carry  message  on  registration  of  service  personnel;  CEO  can  also  have interactive sessions in these programmes

## G. Overseas Indians

- a) Target families having NRIs and promote registration of NRIs among them
- b) Popularise NVSP link for online registration of NRIs
- c) BLOS  to  share  form  6A  with  families  having  a  member  who  is  NRI  and familiarize them with NVSP portal.

## III. Multi-Media Campaign

Error free roll, surrender of multiple entries and voter portal has to be widely publicized. Suitable multi-media content may be created to support the drive and for wide dissemination of information and publicity of dates of registration drive. Adequate  content may  be  created on motivational aspects and disseminated  to  Districts  for  wider  reach.  Ready-made  content  from  the SVEEP portal and also from Voter Education Channel, Hello Voter Programme and from CEO's own archives may be used after due scrutiny of their local relevance and applicability.

It  is  made  clear  that  Aadhar  Collection  is  notamandatory.  No  voters  will  be denied any electoral service on the basis of non-availability  of Aadhar. This should be made clear to all functionaries again.

- IV. Developing Partnerships: To carry forward the SVEEP programme in relation to registration, partnerships may be strengthened with the following:
- a)  State Govt Departments Airtel,
- b)  MCDs can be roped in Metros
- c)  Public Broadcaster, AIR and DD
- j) Private Service providers like Vodafone etc.
- k) Theatres like PVR, Inox etc. and
- d)  Local Railways
- e)  Airport Authority of India
- f) Educational Institutions
- g)  BSNL/MTNL
- h)  Transport Department
- i) PSUs like Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum Banks
- I. CEOs may ensure that an Addl/Jt CEO exclusively for SVEEP and a competent nodal  officer  in  each  district  is  in  position  as  per  directions  given  by  the Commission time to time.
- II. Action as directed above may be taken up on a most immediate basis for the Special  Summary  revision.  A  monthly  reporting  format  for  SSR  2021  is attached herewith which may be furnished to the Commission.

This issues with the approval of the competent authority.

## Copy to :-

1.  PSO to CEC
2.  PSO to EC (R)
3.  PSO to EC (ACP)
4.  PS to SG (US)
5.  ER Division/All Zonal Sections

## Shopping Malls

- l) Private Media - TV Channels, FM Channels (big time), Newspapers
- m) Corporate Federations
- n) Individuals like celebrities, artists etc.

Yours Sincerely,

(Naresh Kumar) Under Secretary

## Monthly Reporting Format for SSR, 2021

(Report to be sent by all CEOs to SVEEP Division by 10 th of every month from Sep, 2021 till the conclusion of SSR)

Name of the State :

Date of Reporting :

|   1. | Identification of low enrollment PS done. If yes numbers identified                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                  |
|------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|    2 | Any steps taken to identify person with disability (PWDs) electors                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |                                                                                                  |
|    3 | Any Organisation/Agency partnered with for Summary Revision (PI specify)                                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                  |
|    4 | Media in which publicity given to the following: a. schedule of Summary Revision & date of eligibility for enrolment(1 St January) b. location of display of draft Roll including its availability on CEO's website c. Types of Forms for enrolment d. Details of BLO/Know your BLO | (Specify whether given in newspaper, radio, TV, SMS, email, website or in posters/pamphlets etc) |
|    5 | Total No of Media insertions at State level a. In print(newspapers) b. In TV c. In Radio d. Any other media (pl specify)                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                  |
|    6 | Total no of mobilization/special activities in the state                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                  |
|    7 | Has Youth Voter festival been undertaken in the state? If yes, how many institutes are participating                                                                                                                                                                                |                                                                                                  |
|    8 | No of camps in the state (PI specify nos and dates)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Nos                                                                                              |
|    8 | No of camps in the state (PI specify nos and dates)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Dates                                                                                            |
|    9 | How was the day and location of camp publicised a) In print media                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Yes/No                                                                                           |

|    | b) Electronic media c) Interpersonal (door to door, mike announcement, prabhat pheri etc) d) Any other (pl specify)                                | Yes/No Yes/No   |
|----|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| 10 | Were any camps held specially for any particular group/segment (e.g. service voters, NRls, or any other group) if yes pl specify                   |                 |
| 11 | a) Has adequate awareness material been generated at the State level? b) Has it been uploaded on the ECI SVEEP Portal (if not, pl ensure the same) |                 |
| 12 | The most innovative activity/ies and intervention/s (pl specify)                                                                                   |                 |

CEO Signature :\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

## Data of 18-19 Age group electors for the period 2020-2022

| S. No.   | Name of State/UT   |   Summary Revision, 2020 |   Summary Revision, 2021 |   Summary Revision, 2022 |
|----------|--------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| 1        | 2                  |                        3 |                        4 |                        5 |
| 1        | ANDHRA PRADESH     |                  1141236 |                   283301 |                   207893 |
| 2        | ARUNACHAL PRADESH  |                    19004 |                     8751 |                    13030 |
| 3        | ASSAM              |                   510064 |                   420792 |                   479133 |
| 4        | BIHAR              |                   714488 |                   940090 |                   680559 |
| 5        | CHHATTISGARH       |                   255842 |                   182331 |                   222073 |
| 6        | GOA                |                    22292 |                    17795 |                    26297 |
| 7        | GUJARAT            |                   901432 |                   946298 |                  1072950 |
| 8        | HARYANA            |                   269180 |                   217754 |                   191798 |
| 9        | HIMACHAL PRADESH   |                   109501 |                    92289 |                   100507 |
| 10       | JAMMU & KASHMIR    |                   182182 |                   182182 |                   182182 |
| 11       | JHARKHAND          |                   220724 |                   170264 |                   395790 |
| 12       | KARNATAKA          |                   747924 |                   517241 |                   401924 |
| 13       | KERALA             |                   315730 |                   299528 |                   255497 |
| 14       | MADHYA PRADESH     |                  1014426 |                   881503 |                   878026 |
| 15       | MAHARASHTHRA       |                  2035391 |                  1297035 |                   835833 |
| 16       | MANIPUR            |                    34923 |                    33836 |                    59491 |
| 17       | MEGHALAYA          |                    60050 |                    69325 |                    51717 |
| 18       | MIZORAM            |                    31588 |                    41431 |                    40871 |
| 19       | NAGALAND           |                    17129 |                    15419 |                    20525 |
| 20       | ODISHA             |                   542323 |                   410077 |                   523774 |
| 21       | PUNJAB             |                   210866 |                   190021 |                   278969 |
| 22       | RAJASTHAN          |                   828416 |                   695016 |                  1197416 |
| 23       | SIKKIM             |                    10844 |                     9011 |                     9073 |
| 24       | TAMIL NADU         |                  1191401 |                  1309311 |                  1053679 |
| 25       | TELANGANA          |                   290680 |                   109733 |                   136496 |
| 26       | TRIPURA            |                    69277 |                    67626 |                    67568 |
| 27       | UTTARAKHAND        |                     3309 |                    77734 |                   158008 |
| 28       | UTTAR PRADESH      |                  1469282 |                   741742 |                  1989902 |
| 29       | WEST BENGAL        |                  2119620 |                  1991943 |                  1769492 |
| 30       | A & N ISLANDS      |                     5782 |                     8591 |                     4152 |
| 31       | CHANDIGARH         |                     6559 |                     8477 |                     8937 |
| 32       | DAMAN & DIU        |                     9409 |                    10744 |                     2902 |
| 33       | D & N HAVELI       |                    11657 |                     5009 |                     9463 |
| 34       | NCT OF DELHI       |                   208883 |                   125189 |                   115146 |
| 35       | LAKSHADWEEP        |                     1374 |                      643 |                     1106 |
| 36       | PUDUCHERRY         |                    24406 |                    29726 |                    26873 |
|          | TOTAL              |                 15607194 |                 12407758 |                 13469052 |

## ANNEXURE 'IV'

## ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA DATA OF NUMBER OF ELECTORS, 2022 (AT THE TIME OF FINAL PUBLICATION OF ELECTORAL ROLL W.R.T.

## 01.01.2022 AS THE QUALIFYING DATE)

| Sl. No.   | Name of State/UT                     | Total Number of Electors, 2022   | Total Number of Electors, 2022   | Total Number of Electors, 2022   | Total Number of Electors, 2022   |
|-----------|--------------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| Sl. No.   | Name of State/UT                     | MEN                              | WOMEN                            | THIRD GENDER                     | TOTAL                            |
| 1         | 2                                    | 3                                | 4                                | 5                                | 6                                |
| 1         | ANDHRA PRADESH                       | 20134664                         | 20597544                         | 4071                             | 40736279                         |
| 2         | ARUNACHAL PRADESH                    | 409104                           | 415881                           | 0                                | 824985                           |
| 3         | ASSAM                                | 12019469                         | 11755871                         | 401                              | 23775741                         |
| 4         | BIHAR                                | 40234689                         | 36256671                         | 2740                             | 76494100                         |
| 5         | CHHATTISGARH                         | 9756399                          | 9757411                          | 741                              | 19514551                         |
| 6         | GOA                                  | 562790                           | 593968                           | 4                                | 1156762                          |
| 7         | GUJARAT                              | 25113264                         | 23386321                         | 1288                             | 48500873                         |
| 8         | HARYANA                              | 10360869                         | 8970911                          | 403                              | 19332183                         |
| 9         | HIMACHAL PRADESH                     | 2784318                          | 2659552                          | 17                               | 5443887                          |
| 10        | JHARKHAND                            | 12655095                         | 11862234                         | 276                              | 24517605                         |
| 11        | KARNATAKA                            | 26508428                         | 26045263                         | 4716                             | 52558407                         |
| 12        | KERALA                               | 13382344                         | 14133612                         | 281                              | 27516237                         |
| 13        | MADHYA PRADESH                       | 27863668                         | 25828568                         | 1352                             | 53693588                         |
| 14        | MAHARASHTRA                          | 47835098                         | 43624645                         | 3520                             | 91463263                         |
| 15        | MANIPUR                              | 1006151                          | 1050542                          | 208                              | 2056901                          |
| 16        | MEGHALAYA                            | 1032145                          | 1053245                          | 2                                | 2085392                          |
| 17        | MIZORAM                              | 409942                           | 428545                           | 0                                | 838487                           |
| 18        | NAGALAND                             | 637830                           | 629276                           | 0                                | 1267106                          |
| 19        | ODISHA                               | 16844163                         | 16186021                         | 3025                             | 33033209                         |
| 20        | PUNJAB                               | 11294654                         | 10089283                         | 695                              | 21384632                         |
| 21        | RAJASTHAN                            | 26670892                         | 24414895                         | 320                              | 51086107                         |
| 22        | SIKKIM                               | 226998                           | 219262                           | 2                                | 446262                           |
| 23        | TAMIL NADU                           | 31031387                         | 32203245                         | 7746                             | 63242378                         |
| 24        | TELANGANA                            | 15270591                         | 15099229                         | 1735                             | 30371555                         |
| 25        | TRIPURA                              | 1391839                          | 1353988                          | 35                               | 2745862                          |
| 26        | UTTARAKHAND                          | 4315684                          | 3921902                          | 300                              | 8237886                          |
| 27        | UTTAR PRADESH                        | 80739710                         | 69835316                         | 8853                             | 150583879                        |
| 28        | WEST BENGAL                          | 37911171                         | 36502792                         | 1642                             | 74415605                         |
| 29        | A & N ISLANDS                        | 163960                           | 148300                           | 11                               | 312271                           |
| 30        | CHANDIGARH                           | 335301                           | 303821                           | 23                               | 639145                           |
| 31        | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 195534                           | 181622                           | 0                                | 377156                           |

| 32                    | UTs of JAMMU & KASHMIR AND LADAKH *   | 4109804   |   3740709 |   339 |   7850852 |
|-----------------------|---------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-------|-----------|
| 33                    | LAKSHADWEEP                           | 28590     |     27679 |     0 |     56269 |
| 34                    | NCT OF DELHI                          | 8148978   |   6761265 |  1032 |  14911275 |
| 35                    | PUDUCHERRY                            | 475408    |    535241 |   120 |   1010769 |
| GRAND TOTAL 491860931 | GRAND TOTAL 491860931                 |           | 460574630 | 45898 | 952481459 |

* Data of the year 2019, in respect of UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

*********