ECI initiates third batch of training programme for Bihar BLOs ahead of poll season

IANS April 23, 2025 182 views

The Election Commission of India has initiated a critical training programme for Booth Level Officers in preparation for Bihar's upcoming elections. This third batch of training involves 229 BLOs, EROs, and DEOs to enhance their electoral management skills. The programme, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, aims to familiarize participants with their statutory responsibilities and IT applications. By creating a network of Assembly Level Master Trainers, the ECI seeks to strengthen India's electoral infrastructure nationwide.

"Our training aims to strengthen grassroots electoral management" - Gyanesh Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner
New Delhi, April 23: In a bid to step up the preparedness of its grassroots functionaries, the Election Commission of India on Wednesday commenced a two-day training and capacity-building programme of the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) at the India International Institute of Democracy & Election Management (IIIDEM).

Key Points

1

- 229 BLOs and election officials undergo comprehensive two-day training programme

2

Training focuses on statutory roles and technological applications

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Prepares electoral machinery for Bihar's upcoming polls

The move assumes significance as the 'training boost' for electoral officers comes ahead of electoral battles slated in Bihar later this year, and West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, next year.

Notably, this is the third such batch of training programme, where BLOs are being trained from poll-bound Bihar.

A total of 229 BLOs, 12 EROs and 2 DEOs from the state are participating in the two-day training programme. A specialised one-day training programme was also held for the State Police Nodal Officer (SPNO) and police officers from Bihar.

The training programme was inaugurated by Chief Election Commissioner of India Gyanesh Kumar in the presence of Election Commissioner Dr. Vivek Joshi at the IIIDEM and was followed by an interaction with the participants.

The training seeks to familiarise the BLOs with their roles and responsibilities as per the statutory framework and equip them to ensure error-free electoral rolls. They will also be trained in the IT applications designed to support their roles.

This is the latest in the first phase of the ongoing physical training programmes at IIIDEM in which 555 BLOs from poll-bound states of Bihar, West Bengal and Assam and 279 Booth Level Agents (BLA-1s) of 10 recognised national and state political parties from Bihar have already been trained.

These well-trained BLOs will form a corps of Assembly Level Master Trainers (ALMTs) to strengthen the entire network of BLOs nationwide.

The training of SPNOs and police officers from Bihar aims to improve coordination between election authorities and the police for enhanced electoral management, especially in the areas of law and order and model code of conduct (MCC) enforcement.

Till date, over 3,000 participants from 141 countries including large democracies such as Australia, UK, USA, Brazil, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Israel, Russia and South Africa have benefited from training programmes from India's globally acclaimed election management practices at IIIDEM.

Reader Comments

P
Priya K.
This is such an important initiative! Well-trained BLOs are crucial for fair elections. Hope they focus on digital literacy too since so much is online now. 👏
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Rahul S.
As someone from Bihar, I really appreciate this effort. Our elections need to be more transparent and efficient. The police training part is especially important given past issues.
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Anjali M.
Interesting that they're training international participants too! Didn't know India's election management was so respected globally. Makes me proud of our democratic processes.
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Sanjay P.
While the training is good, I hope they're also addressing the issue of political pressure on BLOs. No amount of technical training helps if they can't work independently.
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Neha T.
The scale is impressive - 555 BLOs trained already! But I wonder how they ensure quality when training so many people in batches. Quality > quantity always.
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Vikram J.
Great to see focus on both technical and coordination aspects. Elections aren't just about voting day - the prep work matters so much. Kudos to ECI! 🇮🇳

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Tags:
Election Commission of India Bihar Elections Booth Level Officers Gyanesh Kumar Voter Management Electoral Training
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