• UGI USER
  • Nov 04, 2023
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Electoral Literacy

Why in the news?

NCERT to Introduce Electoral Literacy Content in Textbooks.

  • The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is taking steps to address voter apathy among young Indians.
  • This includes integrating electoral literacy content into textbooks and advising state education boards to do the same, extending from Classes 6 to 12 and throughout colleges and universities.

Key Measures

  • Textbook Integration: NCERT will update textbooks with content on electoral literacy, targeting young students.
  • Collaboration: A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Education Ministry to address voter apathy and extend the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) initiative to schools and colleges.
  • Addressing Voter Apathy: The initiative aims to tackle voter apathy among young and urban Indians, as nearly 297 million out of 910 million electors did not vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
  • Long-term Vision: The MoU seeks to instill electoral literacy in young people through educational institutions, with the hope of increasing electoral participation in future general elections.
  • Teacher Training: The document emphasizes training teachers to effectively impart electoral literacy in classrooms.
  • Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs): ELCs will be established in schools and colleges to promote voter awareness among students.
  • Distribution of Voter ID Cards: The goal is to provide voter ID cards to students when they turn 18.
  • Democracy Room: Plans include the inclusion of electoral literacy in adult literacy and basic education curricula, as well as designating rooms in senior secondary schools as “democracy rooms” for voter education and Continuous Electoral and Democracy Education (CEDE) activities throughout the year.
  • These measures aim to enhance electoral literacy, encourage greater participation in the electoral process, and reduce voter apathy among young and urban Indians.