Election Commission And Education Ministry To Work Together To Help Students Learn About Democracy

The Election Commission of India will sign an agreement with the Education Ministry soon to inform students of Class 9 and above about democracy and its other allied aspects.

Election Commission of India and Education Ministry to sign agreement to inform students about democracy

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The Election Commission of India and the Union Education Ministry will be joining hands together to educate young students about democracy. Underlining the necessity to ‘immediately’ help young people getting into the practice of exercising their rights as a voter, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Thursday, said that the poll panel will ink an agreement with the Education Ministry soon to inform students of Class 9 and above about democracy and its other allied aspects. 

He further stated that the Election Commision further seeks to create a nursery for voters, right at the school level itself. "Right from their student days, their minds and understanding have to be inculcated about the important role of a voter in a democracy.

"Catching them young. They have turned 18 and have become a voter, but they are not very much aware of voting, ethos, magnitude. How to vote, whom to vote and what all considerations are to kept in mind -- that background is not ready," he was reported as saying by news agency PTI. 

He further underlined that harbouring the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding), the Election Commission also intends to get into the curriculum of school students to ensure that the roots of democracy get ingrained in the minds of the children.

The remarks from the Chief Election Commissioner came during an event today, where the Election Commission appointed actor Rajkumar Rao as the national icon of the commission. Notably, the EC had also stressed the importance on democratic and electoral education of young students earlier as well. 

Earlier in September last month, the Election Commision of India (ECI) also released a comic book ‘'Chacha Chaudhary aur Chunavi Dangal.’ Launched in association with a joint initiative of the ECI and Pran comics, The book came as a part of ECI’s SVEEP (Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation Program) initiative tarrgetted at creating electoral awareness amongst children and youth.