Amid the ongoing Assembly elections in Assam, a Sri Lankan delegate symbolically planted a sapling during a visit to a polling station in Kamrup district on Thursday, underscoring the message of eco-friendly elections under the International Election Visitors\u2019 Programme (IEVP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sharing the development, the Election Commission of India said the gesture reflected a commitment to sustainable electoral practices while offering international observers a first-hand experience of India\u2019s democratic process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The IEVP 2026 was formally launched on April 7 in New Delhi by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr S. S. Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi at the India International Institute for Democracy and Election Management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Addressing the delegates, Gyanesh Kumar described elections in India as \u201cfestivals of democracy\u201d and reaffirmed the Commission\u2019s commitment to conducting free, fair, and inclusive polls. He also encouraged participants to engage deeply with India\u2019s diverse electoral landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A total of 43 delegates from 23 countries, including representatives from foreign missions based in New Delhi, are participating in the first phase of the programme. During this phase, delegates are visiting poll-bound states including Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of their exposure, the visiting delegates were given demonstrations of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and participated in mock polling exercises, gaining practical insights into the voting process. They also attended interactive sessions with election experts to better understand India\u2019s electoral mechanisms and administrative safeguards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The programme also includes field visits to critical election infrastructure such as dispatch centres, distribution hubs, district control rooms, and media monitoring centres, offering a comprehensive understanding of election management in the world\u2019s largest democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the second phase, beginning April 20, delegates will travel to West Bengal and Tamil Nadu to observe further electoral processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The IEVP remains a flagship initiative of the Election Commission of India, aimed at strengthening international cooperation with Election Management Bodies and sharing best practices in election administration. It highlights India\u2019s robust electoral framework and showcases innovations that ensure transparency, inclusiveness, and efficiency in conducting elections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Amid the ongoing Assembly elections in Assam, a Sri Lankan delegate symbolically planted a sapling during a visit to a polling station in Kamrup district on Thursday, underscoring the message of eco-friendly elections under the International Election Visitors\u2019 Programme (IEVP). Sharing the development, the Election Commission of India said the gesture reflected a commitment to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\n