The Ministry of Education, Government of India and the Election Commission of India have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 2nd November, 2023. This would incorporate voter education and electoral literacy formally into the school and college education system, to prepare future and new voters for greater electoral participation. One of the objectives of this MoU is to make the young citizens fully conversant with the electoral system of the country and inculcate in them the willingness to register as voters and participate in every election in a passionate, informed and ethical manner.
The MoU also provides for introduction/updation of NCERT textbooks to incorporate electoral literacy as part of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for Classes 6th to 12th, integration of voter education and electoral literacy appropriately in the curricular framework for all colleges/universities as well as that of adult education. This is to be supplemented by imparting requisite training to teachers by way of inclusion of the subject matter in teacher education course materials.
Apart from the classroom curriculum, the MoU also aims to spread awareness among students through Electoral Literacy Clubs in schools/colleges and Democracy Rooms in every senior secondary school, co-curricular activities, disseminating communication material on electoral literacy through various forms of media appropriate for school/college students, administering a pledge to vote by students, organising mock polls, EVM-VVPAT demonstrations, information about ECI mobile apps, inculcating practices of free, fair and ethical voting in student union elections in colleges/universities etc.
The information was given by the Minister of State for Education, Smt. Annpurna Devi in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
