Lucknow: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has achieved a significant milestone by training over 2,300 field-level election officials through intensive programs conducted at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi.
Continuing its commitment to inclusive capacity building, the Commission has now taken an unprecedented step by organizing a Tamil-language training session for field-level election officers from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. A total of 293 participants, including 264 BLO Supervisors, 14 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), 2 District Election Officers (DEOs), and other officials, are taking part in this blended-batch training program.
In his inaugural address, Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar emphasized the pivotal role of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), calling them the first representatives of the Election Commission to the voters. He highlighted that they play a critical role in ensuring accurate and up-to-date electoral rolls. He further noted that in recent weeks, approximately 2,300 participants have benefited from various intensive training programs at IIIDEM. The current two-day training program is part of a larger nationwide effort to train over 100,000 BLOs and election officials across all levels in the coming years.
The BLO Supervisors are being trained through interactive sessions and role-play exercises on the correct procedures for handling Forms 6, 7, and 8. The training also includes hands-on practice with IT solutions used in electoral processes. Upon completion, these supervisors will serve as master trainers at the assembly constituency level, equipping them to train other BLOs effectively.
Participants are also being made aware of the appellate provisions under Section 24(a) and 24(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which detail the roles of District Magistrates (or equivalent officials) and Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) in dealing with first and second appeals related to final published electoral rolls.
It is worth noting that no appeals were filed from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during the appeal period (January 6–10, 2025) following the Special Summary Revision (SSR) exercise.
The ECI’s ongoing efforts underscore its commitment to building a robust, trained, and informed election workforce that upholds the integrity and accuracy of India’s democratic processes.
