The India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) is going on at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. On the first day today, heads of 42 Election Management Bodies (EMBs) took part in the Plenary of the IICDEM. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi, initiated the proceedings. Nearly 60 international delegates, including Heads of EMBs and Ambassadors, High Commissioners of several countries, participated in the Plenary.

 

The three-day conference started with an Inaugural Session, which was attended by nearly one thousand persons. It includes delegates from 42 EMBs, Ambassadors or High Commissioners of 27 countries, experts from national institutions and Chief Electoral Officers from across the country.

 

Addressing the inaugural session, Mr Kumar said that the booth-level officers are the foundational pillar for the electoral democracy in the country. He added that India is the mother of democracy, and maintaining pure electoral rolls with the inclusion of every eligible elector is essential for strengthening democracy. The CEC said that the work of EMBs has evolved significantly over the past decades.

 

Mr Kumar said that India conducts elections on an unprecedented scale, encompassing 28 states and 8 union territories. He said that the conference brings together representatives of more than forty Election Management Bodies, as well as scholars, experts and students from over seventy national institutions. On the occasion, glimpses from the docu-series India Decides were also showcased.