PUNE: Citizens who know the electoral process make informed choices. In a bid to motivate youngsters towards electoral participation and promote ethical voting, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) will form an electoral literacy club in all its affiliated colleges.
The university has over 800 colleges under its wing in Pune, Ahmednagar and Nashik. Through this club in every college, students would be educated about voter registration, the electoral process and related matters by engaging them through well-designed attractive resources.
Prabhakar Desai, programme co-ordinator, National Service Scheme at the university said, "Colleges and institutions affiliated to the university have been told to form the clubs. The institutions will have to send their clubs' progress report, from the formation stage till they start conducting activities under the scheme."
The ELC will be set up in colleges, university campuses for engaging students in a hands-on experience in electoral literacy. Guidance and involvement of teachers, especially those who have the experience of election duties, will be an important component. Resources for students and teachers will be provided online or by other means by the district election officer through the nodal officer.
The club will have students as its members and would be run by an elected body from amongst the students with elected representatives from each of the classes. The elected representatives shall constitute the executive committee of the ELC. The elected representatives will elect one of the reps as its chairman and another as vice-chairman. Campus ambassador will act as the convenor of the ELC and will assist the nodal officer in discharge of their functions.
As per the scheme, one or two teachers from the political science department of the college will act as the nodal officers for the club. They will also act as mentors.
Desai said, "Students will be made aware of what, how, when and where of electoral process including registration and voting in an election, understand the value of their vote and the sanctity of secrecy of vote, working of the EVM."
