ECI begins 2-day capacity building programme for 379 field functionaries

New Delhi, June 23: The 13th batch of training for Booth Level Officer (BLO) Supervisors commenced today at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi. The training program was inaugurated by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, Shri Gyanesh Kumar, and includes 379 participants — 111 from Uttar Pradesh, 128 from Madhya Pradesh, 67 from Nagaland, 66 from Meghalaya, and 7 from Chandigarh.
Over the past three months, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has trained more than 5,000 BLOs and BLO Supervisors at IIIDEM.
In his inaugural address, CEC Gyanesh Kumar emphasized that such training is crucial to ensure that electoral rolls are prepared and elections are conducted in strict adherence to the Representation of the People Acts of 1950 and 1951, the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, and the latest instructions issued by the ECI.
“There can be nothing more transparent than law in any democracy. Elections in India are held as per law,” the CEC stated.
He also highlighted the importance of making field officers familiar with the provisions for first and second appeals against the final electoral rolls. The first appeal can be made to the DM/District Collector/Executive Magistrate under Section 24(a) of the RP Act, 1950, while the second appeal lies with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the State/UT under Section 24(b).
The CEC encouraged BLOs and BLO Supervisors to educate electors about these provisions during their field verification duties.
It is noteworthy that no appeals were filed from Meghalaya, Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh, Chandigarh, and Uttar Pradesh following the completion of the Special Summary Revision (SSR) exercise held between January 6 and 10, 2025.
The current training program aims to enhance participants’ practical understanding in key areas such as voter registration, handling of various electoral forms, and the field-level implementation of procedures. Additionally, participants will undergo hands-on training on IT tools, and will receive technical demonstrations on the use of EVMs and VVPATs, including mock poll exercises.