NCERT textbook praises ECI, calls India's polls 'unparalleled'

A new NCERT Class IX textbook praises the Election Commission of India (ECI), calling India's electoral exercise "unparalleled". The book highlights the ECI's impartial role despite challenges like misinformation and fake news.

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has praised the Election Commission of India (ECI) in its new Class IX Social Science textbook, describing India's electoral exercise as "unparalleled" and saying the constitutional body tries to ensure elections are conducted "impartially" despite challenges such as "misinformation, fake news and intimidation".

ECI's Role and Responsibilities Praised

The chapter, Elections, in the newly introduced Understanding Society: India and Beyond - Part 1 textbook, expected to reach students in the coming days, highlights the scale of India's electoral process and the Election Commission's role in conducting elections across the country. "India's electoral exercise is unparalleled, and distinct from those in other parts of the world, with over 96.8 crore eligible voters spread across diverse regions and terrains. The ECI manages this exercise autonomously, ensuring free and fair elections nationwide," the book reads "Despite numerous challenges to conducting free and fair elections, the ECI tries to ensure that elections at multiple levels are carried out impartially," it added.

The textbook further states that the Election Commission performs a wide range of responsibilities beyond polling. "To carry out its functions, such as updating electoral rolls, candidate nominations, regulating campaigns, law enforcement coordination among states, extensive security arrangements, counting of votes, declaration of election results, and dispute resolution, the ECI makes extensive use of information and communication technologies, and e-governance."

Challenges in Conducting Free and Fair Elections

While praising the Election Commission's functioning, the chapter also underlines the challenges involved in conducting elections in the world's largest democracy. A dedicated section titled "Challenges to Free and Fair Elections" said, "In India, conducting elections for over 96.8 crore (in 2024) voters with thousands of polling stations and hundreds of political parties, spread across diverse regions and socio-economic realities, is a challenging task."

The book specifically identifies misinformation, fake news and intimidation as major challenges faced during elections. "For challenges such as misinformation, fake news, intimidation, etc., the ECI addresses them through RPA 1950 and 1951, the Model Code of Conduct, EVMs, Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), voters' awareness campaigns, and other measures." It concludes by stressing that public participation is equally important. "With constant vigilance and active citizen participation, elections can become more representative and the democracy more robust."

Initiatives for Inclusive Elections

The textbook also highlights the Election Commission's efforts to make elections more inclusive under the theme "No Voter to Be Left Behind." It mentions Braille-enabled Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), home voting for eligible senior citizens, and several digital platforms developed by the Commission.

Among the initiatives listed are the Saksham App for persons with disabilities, the Voter Helpline App, cVIGIL for reporting Model Code of Conduct violations, ETPBS for service voters, Suvidha for candidates, ERONET, and Sugam. Students are also asked to identify reforms introduced by the Election Commission for persons with disabilities, service voters, senior citizens, prisoners and those under preventive detention.

Role of Political Parties

The chapter describes political parties as playing a "fundamental role" in democracy by presenting diverse programmes and policies, enabling voters to make informed choices. Students are also asked to study coalition politics by identifying the alliances that won the Lok Sabha elections in 1977, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024. (ANI)

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