ISM Patna (06 March 2024): The Electoral Literacy Club of the Election Commission of India, organised a Seminar on ‘My first vote for the country’ and 'Bharat ka Parv, Desh ka Garv’ at the International School of Management Patna on Wednesday, 06 March. The convener of the seminar, Dr. Vijay Bahadur Singh, Director of the Institute, led the event, which featured prominent speakers Mr Pradeep Singh, SDO, Danapur, the District Sub-election Officer, and the Public Relations Officer and BDO, Danapur. The programme was actively coordinated by the NSS Cell of ISM Patna, under the leadership of the Chairperson of NSS Cell, Dr. Shilpi Kavita.
As an awareness programme, to ensure 100% voting in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the event aimed to foster a sense of civic responsibility and empower the youth especially first-time voters to actively participate in the democratic process.
The event commenced with an inaugural address by the Director, ISM who introduced all the dignitaries and drew attention towards the grim situation of a decreasing percentage of urban voters, the glory of Bihar as the mother of democracy and the contribution of young voters in the development of the nation.
The District Sub-election Officer made more than 2000 PGDM, BBA, BCA, BCP and BAJMC students of the Institute aware of the digital electoral reforms through several Apps like Form 6 of the voter helpline App for voter ID registration, Know Your Candidate App, C Vigil App for complaint and quick redressal of crime related to misguiding voting behaviour, EPIC for SMS, 1950 Toll-Free Phone Number to assist the voters to know about their specific vote-booths etc. In his address, he praised the discipline, acumen and awareness of the students of ISM.
While the SDO, Danapur, deliberated on the importance of democracy, the roles of voters in the development of a democratic nation, the rights and duties of the voters, indirect representations of 140 crore citizens through free and fair elections of Members of Parliament, State Assembly and even Panchayats. As the Bihar state UPSC topper of the 2019 batch, in the question-answer session, he also responded to the curious students about answer writing techniques in the Mains of Civil Services Exams.
The seminar concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Principal Dr. Sachin Bhaskar, expressing gratitude to all the dignitaries, faculty members, participants, organizers, and non-teaching staff for making the event a success. He said, “This seminar marked another step towards achieving that goal by encouraging students to understand the importance of their first vote and the impact it can have on the nation.”
The day-long event focused on the theme "My First Vote for the Country" and under the active coordination of the Admin of the Institute, Ms. Neeru Kumari, it encompassed a diverse range of activities, including speeches, debates, extemporaneous speaking, painting, poetry, digital content creation, and even rap performances. The goal was to engage the students in meaningful discussions and creative expressions related to the significance of their first vote in the democratic process.
NSS Volunteers from ISM Patna played a crucial role in extending the impact of the event by visiting nearby villages to raise awareness about the importance of casting their valuable votes in nation-building. Their efforts aimed at encouraging greater participation in the electoral process and promoting informed decision-making.
