The Election Commission has once again initiated efforts to reach out to Gen Alpha (born between 2013 and 2025) and Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. The EC’s aim is to turn them into aware voters who are well acquainted with the electoral process and can lead awareness campaigns in the future.
The Commission’s new campaign will involve students from schools, colleges, and universities across the country’s 4,123 Assembly constituencies. It will include schoolchildren from Classes 9 to 12, as well as college and university students.
According to Commission officials, there are a total of 147.8 million people aged between 18 and 26. They include 79.8 million men, 67.9 million women, and 9,000 transgender people.
50,000 Electoral Literacy Clubs to Be Set Up
Officials said that the Commission is working on a plan to establish 50,000 Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs). Ten such clubs will be set up in each Assembly constituency.
For this, the Commission will reach out to students from Classes 9 to 12 in 1.5 million schools. In addition, it will also reach out to 70,000 colleges and 1,400 universities.
ELCs were launched in 2018
Electoral Literacy Clubs were launched in 2018 under the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme. Their objective was to familiarise students with democratic values, the electoral process, and the role and functioning of the Election Commission.
Emphasis on staying connected continuously through digital means
According to the Commission, the way people communicate is changing rapidly, and they are becoming increasingly dependent on digital platforms. ELC 2.0 has been planned in view of the need for continuous, systematic and direct engagement with young voters and people connected to the grassroots.
Under ELC 2.0, these clubs will be redesigned as digitally enabled, organised structures that remain continuously connected.
