 "CEC Chandra tells story of Indian elections to international audience")
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra on Tuesday narrated to an international audience the story of elections in India, the world's largest democracy, telling how the panel held polls amid Covid.
The Election Commission, in association with the High Commission of India, Pretoria, Consulate General of India, Johannesburg and Electoral Commission of South Africa, participated in an international virtual seminar on 'Story of World's Largest Democracy's Election' in India.
The webinar was attended by over 50 participants from the Indian diaspora, academicians and students from different universities in South Africa, the poll panel said in a statement.
In his keynote address, Chandra said conducting elections in India is a mammoth task with over 937 million registered electors in the country as of now.
He noted that the Election Commission sets up polling booths within walking distance of every village, hamlet and habitation with the aim of 'no voter to be left behind'.
While sharing the experience of conducting elections in six states amid the Covid pandemic, Chandra mentioned several initiatives adopted to ensure smooth conduct of elections despite the challenges.
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He highlighted steps like curtailing the maximum number of voters at a polling station from 1,500 to 1,000 and extending polling hours by an hour to decongest polling spaces; postal ballot facility for senior citizens who are 80 years above, people with disabilities and Covid-affected individuals where EC literally brought the polling station to their doorstep.
Chandra also gave an insight into the participation of women in Indian elections, which has seen a remarkable increase over the years.
Election Commission Secretary General Umesh Sinha gave an overview of the different facets of election management to ensure inclusive, participative, and accessible elections.