SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Institutions: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology | Ministry of Law and Justice
The Election Commission of India (ECI) recently conducted an extensive training and online assessment session for over 1600 Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant ROs (AROs) in preparation for the upcoming Bihar Legislative Assembly elections and bye-elections. The virtual program covered all critical stages of election conduct, including the nomination process, handling qualification and disqualification issues, and the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). This effort is intended to ensure election officials are fully prepared and that the electoral process adheres strictly to legal provisions.
A significant part of the briefing introduced the Presiding Officer module of ECINet. This digital application is being progressively implemented to enable Presiding Officers to upload two-hourly voter turnout data in near real-time using the ECINet App. The compiled data provides approximate voting trends quickly to the RO level, improving transparency and speed in data management. A trial run of this application will be held at all Polling Stations before the actual poll day.
The integration of the ECINet module represents a crucial governance reform toward electoral technology adoption, significantly enhancing transparency in voter turnout reporting and institutionalizing data-driven monitoring of election proceedings.
What is a Returning Officer (RO)? A Returning Officer is an official designated by the Election Commission of India under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, responsible for the overall conduct of elections in a specific parliamentary or assembly constituency, including receiving nominations, scrutinizing papers, and declaring the result.
What is the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and its policy relevance? β The Model Code of Conduct is a set of ethical and procedural guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the conduct of political parties, candidates, and the party in power during an election period. It aims to ensure a free, fair, and level playing field by restricting the ruling government from announcing new schemes, grants, or using official machinery for campaigning, thereby preventing the misuse of public funds and position. The MCC comes into immediate force upon the announcement of the election schedule and remains effective until the results are declared
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: What institutional mechanisms are needed to ensure robust cybersecurity and data integrity for new real-time voter turnout applications like the ECINet module?
Follow the full news here: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2177328