Election Commission inks MoU to take electoral literacy to classrooms

NEW DELHI: Keen to take electoral literacy to the classrooms, the Election Commission on Thursday entered into a memorandum of understanding with the ministry of education to groom school and college students to be informed, enlightened and responsible voters in the future. The MoU seeks to systematically integrate voters' education and lessons on electoral literacy into the curricular framework for classes 6-12 at school level and also across all colleges and universities, where it will be tailored to suit different disciplines. An EC statement said the initiative to include schools and colleges in the reach of its systematic voters' education and electoral participation programme (SVEEP) will prepare students for their first vote and ingrain democratic values and ethos into their impressionable minds. Speaking on young voters, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar had emphasised the need to "catch them young" and make them aware of the important role of a voter in democracy, so that they can make an informed choice as voters.