On Thursday, the Election Commission (EC) entered into an MoU with the Union education ministry to introduce electoral literacy in classrooms nationwide.
The agreement aims to integrate voter education into the school curriculum for grades 6 to 12. The EC emphasized a “from classroom to polling stations” approach to prepare students for their first voting experience.
As part of this collaboration, the concept of “democracy rooms” in senior secondary schools was proposed to exhibit voter education material and activities.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) will update textbooks to include electoral literacy content and offer guidance to state and other education boards. The incorporation of this education will also extend to the curricular framework of colleges and universities, tailored to different disciplines.
The EC has shown concern about low voter turnout, especially among urban and young voters, with nearly 29.7 crore eligible voters abstaining from voting in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The commission views the 67.4% voting percentage as a challenge for improvement. Rajiv Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner, stressed the importance of instilling an understanding of a voter’s significant role in a democracy from a young age. He highlighted the need to educate new voters about the voting process, the factors to consider, and the responsibilities associated with voting.