Page 10 - Leap of Faith inside pages with cover (1)

Message

Election Commissioner of India

lections in India amaze the world by their scale and Analytics; activation of the ideas of social inclusion;
complexity. They have been an exemplar for the churning of ethical aspects in electoral arena and spread
Erest, for various reasons. India's federal policy of political consciousness are constantly redrawing the
implies that elections based on adult suffrage are to be contours of Indian democracy and electioneering.
conducted both for central and state legislatures. Similarly, due to ECI's firm commitment and sustained
Democracy in India has ensured peaceful transition of initiatives towards accessible and inclusive elections,
power every time, through exercise of the ballot. Annals of approximately 7.7 million PwD voters and approximately
Indian elections, therefore, could be highly inspirational. 15 million electors above 80 years of age have been
We have reason to take immense pride in this democratic mapped and optional facility provided to cast vote from
heritage. It is the only form of governance that could comfort of their homes.
accommodate the kaleidoscopic diversities and With Election Commission of India having several reform
asymmetries of this vast country. Those who pronounced
plans at various stages of actualization, the future of
democracy's unsuitability for India, and even prophesized elections is indeed filled with dynamic possibilities. The
its demise, grossly underestimated its buoyancy and the Commission is fully committed to make elections of
broad outlook of the Indian society. Over the last 70 years, future a more faithful reflection of electorate's verdict.
this democratic structure has sustained various socio- Elections in India have a rich past. I am confident they will
political experiments aimed at group empowerment. In
have a glorious future. This is our Leap of Faith.
fact, the level of popular participation in elections has
been steadily rising in recent years, backed by some iconic
voter engagement initiatives. Participation of women has
increased from around 45 per cent in the first general
th
election in 1951-52 to 67 per cent in 17 General Elections
to Lok Sabha in 2019.
Rapid developments in the field of Communication & Rajiv Kumar
Information Technology, especially development of Election Commissioner of India

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