Delhi students from 200 institutions take pledge to raise voter awareness

New Delhi: Students from more than 200 institutions on Saturday took a joint pledge to raise voter awareness and participate responsibly in the electoral process. The students took the pledge as part of an online event organised by the Delhi CEO Office in collaboration with the directorate of education of the city government as part of a special summary revision exercise of electoral roll, officials said.

The pledge taken in Hindi said the person taking it shall exhort their family members to check their names in voters' list and if they are eligible, get their names added. Youth are the most important and dynamic segment of the population and their influence can significantly increase electoral awareness, said Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ranbir Singh, who took part in the event.

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Students from several colleges, schools and institutions in Delhi took the pledge to raise voter awareness and participate responsibly in the electoral process, he said. The Office of the CEO Delhi is encouraging young people to register as voter with the theme,"Chalo Voter Bane Hum", as part of the campaign, "Delhi ka Voter Utsav".

The special summary revision of Delhi's electoral roll with January 1, 2022 as the qualifying date, began on November 1, Singh had earlier said and asserted that the poll authorities will carry out the exercise as a month-long festival for the electorate.

During this exercise, any person who would be 18 or more on or before January 1, 2022 will be eligible to enrol as a voter. The final roll will be published on January 5. "Voter participation in the electoral process is vital for a democracy's effective functioning. We are committed not to leave even one voter behind," Singh said on Saturday.

He also said his office is encouraging students to follow official handles of @ceodelhioffice on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube and share content among their peers, as youth are the most dynamic section of the population.

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As per the draft roll published on November 1, 2021, the total number of electors stand at 1,47,95,949, according to data shared by the CEO's office. There is a decrease in the number of both male and female voters in the draft roll vis-a-vis the one published on January 15, according to data shared by the Delhi CEO.