Chandigarh, January 25
As per the directions of the Election Commission of India, the 16th National Voter’s Day (NVD) State-level function was celebrated today at MCM DAV College for Women, Sector 36, Chandigarh, under the theme “My India, My Vote” with the tagline “Indian Citizen at the Heart of Indian Democracy” by the Election Department, U.T. Chandigarh.
- Rajesh Prasad, IAS, Chief Secretary, U.T. Chandigarh, attended the function as the Chief Guest, along with Swapnil M. Naik, IAS, Chief Electoral Officer; Nishant Kumar Yadav, IAS, District Election Officer; Amandeep Singh Bhatti, PCS, Electoral Registration Officer; and Sorabh Kumar Arora, Joint Chief Electoral Officer.
The Chief Electoral Officer, U.T. Chandigarh, welcomed the Chief Guest and apprised him of the major initiatives undertaken during the year 2025. He informed that various creative voter awareness activities, such as nukkad nataks and special enrolment camps, were organised across the Union Territory.
The State-level function commenced on an auspicious note with Ganesh Vandana presented in the classical Kathak form by the students of the college. This was followed by a vibrant series of creative performances, including skit, mime, and dance performances.
On the occasion, H. Rajesh Prasad distributed voter identity cards to first-time young voters and felicitated the Best Electoral Literacy Clubs Nodal Officers of colleges and schools, Booth Level Officers, and Members of Electoral Literacy Clubs for their exemplary contribution. The calendar of the Election Department was released by Sh. H. Rajesh Prasad, and the electoral pledge was also administered. The winners of Rangoli Making and Poster Making Competitions on the theme “My India, My Vote,” and the student performers of the day were also honoured.
Addressing the gathering, Prasad emphasised that the vitality of a democracy depends on citizens exercising their right to vote responsibly and impartially. He underscored that the primary objective of National Voters’ Day is to foster awareness and strengthen democratic participation among citizens. He urged citizens to recognise the right to vote as a precious constitutional privilege and to exercise it conscientiously in the larger national interest.
A special nukkad natak focusing on the 30 key initiatives of the Election Commission of India was also performed during the event, with special emphasis on the “Book a Call” facility, through which citizens can directly book a call with their respective Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for electoral services. Specially abled children also participated in the event.
It was further informed that the Election Commission of India has undertaken a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in a systematic, phase-wise manner. The first phase has been completed in Bihar, while the second phase is currently underway in 12 States. The objective of this exercise is to ensure the inclusion of all eligible voters, deletion of duplicate entries, and correction of errors in the electoral rolls.
It was also shared that the Special Intensive Revision is proposed to be announced shortly in U.T. Chandigarh, and presently, pre-revision activities are underway, under which the mapping of electors has been completed up to around 60 per cent.
Citizens were urged to verify their names in the electoral rolls of the last SIR by visiting voters.eci.gov.in, while Chandigarh residents may also check their details on the CEO Chandigarh website. More than 40 election-related apps and portals have now been integrated into a single unified digital platform, ECINET, providing citizens with seamless access to electoral services. Neena Sharma, Principal, MCM DAV College for Women, delivered the vote of thanks and expressed gratitude to the Chief Secretary for gracing the occasion.
Apart from the State-level function, National Voter’s Day was celebrated across all schools, colleges, polling stations, and departments under the Chandigarh Administration, where the Voter’s Pledge was administered and various activities were organised to promote electoral awareness.
