Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 24 Jul: The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) today organised a one day international conference on ‘Model Standards for Electoral Observer’ at Graphic Era Hill University. The event attracted participation in hybrid mode from the representatives of election management units of the United States, Romania, Ireland, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Hungary and Nepal, along with academics from more than 20 universities and over 400 participants from different faculties.
Chief Electoral Officer Dr BVRC Purushottam, addressing the inaugural session as chief guest, said the conference reflects India’s commitment under the chairmanship of International IDEA to bring together academics, election management units and international experts on a common platform for exchange of knowledge and strengthening of electoral institutions. He emphasised that the role of an electoral observer is to independently and impartially monitor the entire election process and contribute to transparency, fairness and public trust.
Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar Bharti, addressing the conference virtually, noted that the active and impartial presence of observers ensures that election machinery functions more effectively, transparently and responsibly. He stressed that in a democratic system, maintaining public confidence in the electoral process under all circumstances is the foremost duty of every observer. Vice Chancellor of Graphic Era Hill University, Prof Dr Tabassum Naqvi, in her welcome address, appreciated the efforts of the Election Commission in preparing modern training modules through coordination with educational institutions and subject experts.
In the second session, Arun Kumar Gupta, Additional Commissioner, CGST Dehradun, elaborated on the role of expenditure observers in elections. He pointed out the need for more effective monitoring mechanisms in view of new methods of campaigning through digital and social media platforms. State Police Training Nodal IG Anant Shankar Takwale explained the role of police observers and said that in the era of artificial intelligence, election technology can be developed globally to reduce future challenges.
A special discussion session was also held where Additional Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Kumar Jogdande highlighted the role of the election observers in election management across different countries. Haridwar District Magistrate Mayur Dixit spoke on the role of field machinery in ensuring impartial voting during elections. The session was conducted by Dr. Taha Siddiqui of Graphic Era Hill University.
In the third session, presentations were made by Dr Kritika Mathur, Thematic Group Supervisor from IIIDEM, Prof Dilip Kumar from IIM Kashipur, Prof Radhe Shyam Jha from Uttaranchal University, Prof Harsh Dobhal from Doon University and Prof Daisy Alexander from Graphic Era University. The session was conducted by Dr. Himani Binjola.
On the occasion, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Prakash Chandra Dumka, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Kishan Singh Negi, Assistant Chief Electoral Officer Mastu Das, along with academics, research scholars and students from various institutions were present.
