Page 123 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Vision for a New Century Chapter 5

SVEEP

Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) is a flagship programme of Election Commission of India.
Its motto is ‘Greater Participation for a Stronger Democracy’. Launched in 2009, the programme aims at spreading voter
awareness and promoting electoral literacy in India to boost electoral participation in statistical and qualitative terms. SVEEP
became the conscious declaration of an active shift to voter-centric election management.

SVEEP's primary goal is to build a truly participative democracy. All eligible voters are encouraged to exercise their
franchise in a free and fair manner. The programme is based on general as well as targeted interventions according to the
socio-economic, cultural and demographic profile of the state. It aims at enrollment/facilitation of women, young and first
time voters, senior citizens, Persons with Disabilities (PwD), and migrant workers, etc.
The SVEEP brought Election Commission into permanent engagement with the masses. Outreach programmes like
audio-video promos, print and outdoor campaign, marathons, rallies, quiz shows, essay writing, poster designing were
organised in large number across all districts of India. Mobile information vans were used with great success in reaching out
to voters in interior areas. Under the SVEEP programme, Election Commission of India has worked with greater synergy
with Civil Society Organisations, Media and corporate houses as well as taken into consideration queries, suggestions and
feedback from the individuals to build qualitative participation.

then Vice President of India, Prime Minister, Speaker of to set up district level committees soon after announcement
Lok Sabha, Minister of Law and Justice, the event was of elections to scrutinise all newspapers to track political
attended by the Leader of Opposition, Lok Sabha, advertisements in the garb of news coverage. This exercise
Governors/Lt. Governors, and leaders of recognised was preceded and followed by a range of consultations
national and state political parties, former Chief Election with media and political parties to build confidence
Commissioners and 30 heads of electoral bodies from and understanding.
different parts of the world. Around the same time, 'paid
th
news' emerged as a matter of grave concern. Paid news Dr. S.Y. Quraishi assumed the charge as the 17 Chief
implies that not only a candidate or political party has Election Commissioner of India on July 30, 2010. The
concealed an (unaccounted) electoral expenditure, but three legacies of his tenure are putting the SVEEP
also deceptively influenced the public opinion. Political (Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation)
parties and well-meaning stalwarts from Indian media on solid footing, launching National Voters’ Day, and
have pleaded for the ECI's intervention against this establishment of IIIDEM (India International Institute of
malaise. On June 8, 2010 the Election Commission issued Democracy and Electoral Management). On January 25,
an instruction to all Chief Electoral Officers directing them 2011 the annual National Voters' Day (NVD) was

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