ECI strengthens field readiness with 2-day training for electoral officers at IIIDEM

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 30, 2025

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, Gyanesh Kumar, inaugurated a two-day capacity-building training programme for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) from Bihar, and EROs and BLO Supervisors from Haryana, NCT of Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi, today. The training programme is part of the Election Commission of India’s ongoing preparations for the upcoming General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies. A total of 369 grassroots election officials are participating in this mixed-batch training programme.

In his inaugural address, CEC Gyanesh Kumar said that the BLOs and EROs, along with the Booth Level Agents (BLAs), are responsible for ensuring correct and updated electoral rolls and must function strictly as per the Representation of People Act 1950, Registration of Electors Rules 1960, and instructions issued by the ECI from time to time. Earlier this month, around 280 BLAs from Bihar representing 10 recognised political parties were also trained at IIIDEM.

The training is designed to enhance participants’ practical understanding, especially in the areas of voter registration, form handling, and field-level implementation of electoral procedures. The officials will also be provided with technical demonstrations and training on EVMs and VVPATs. Participants were also familiarised with the provisions for first and second appeals against the final electoral rolls as published with the DM/District Collector/Executive Magistrate under section 24(a) of the RP Act 1950 and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the State/UT under section 24(b) respectively. It may be recalled that no appeals were filed from Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and NCT of Delhi after the completion of the Special Summary Revision (SSR) exercise conducted between January 6 and 10, 2025.

The curriculum includes interactive sessions, role plays simulating house-to-house surveys, case studies, and hands-on exercises for filling Forms 6, 6A, and 7. Additionally, participants will receive practical training on the Voter Helpline App (VHA) and the BLO App.

Sessions are being conducted by experienced National Level Master Trainers (NLMTs) and expert Resource Persons from the IT and EVM Divisions of the Commission. The sessions are interactive and aim to address common field-level errors and how to avoid them.