New Delhi, Jan. 25 (IANS): The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday celebrated the National Voters Day and vowed to live upto peoples expectations of “neutrality, fairness, transparency and professionalism”.
The event was attended by President Ram Nath Kovind as the chief guest along with Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Congratulating young voters who have just turned 18 and got the right to vote for the first time, Kovind underlined that while developed countries took many years to grant universal suffrage to their citizens, India gave this right to its citizens from day one.
Speaking on the occasion, newly-appointed Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Rawat said that he would continue to “enrich the legacy of my illustrious predecessors”.
This year’s celebrations revolved around the theme ‘Accessible Elections’, which expressed the ECI’s pursuit of working towards making the electoral process more inclusive and friendly for disabled persons. The President also conferred the National Awards for ‘Best Electoral Practices’ to officers deputed in the election machinery.
The President 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 from across the country.
The champions of the National Election Quiz, 2018 which saw the participation of 13.5 lakh students of 9th-12th standard from 38,000 schools across the country, were also felicitated on the occasion. The event function also marked the official launch of Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELC) in the nation.
The Election Commission of India was constituted on January 25, 1950. The day is now observed as the National Voters Day every year on January 25.
