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ELECTORAL LITERACY IN

FORMAL EDUCATION:
EDUCATION CURRICULA &
EXTRA CURRICULA
Dr. Chandra Bhushan Kumar
Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi
ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA
INCLUSIVE
• GETS REGISTERED AND
PARTICIPATES

INFORMED
• UNDERSTANDS THE VALUE OF
ELECTIONS

ETHICAL
• FREE FROM INDUCEMENTS
content
Electoral Literacy
and Multiple Forms in Schools

Formal Education:
curricula and extra-curricula

Challenges and Opportunities


Electoral Literacy in Schools:
Multiple forms

Social and Political


Life (National Political Science
Curriculum (usually at higher
Civic Education Framework, NCF, education level,
(most popular mode 2005 changed though a clear link
of imparting ‘civics’ to move with ‘social and
electoral literacy) away from colonial political life’ is
mindset and to indicated in the NCF
promote diverse and 2005)
liberal discourse)
Three dimensions of electoral literacy

• the facts and ideas of democracy,


citizenship, the government, and
knowledge global concerns that students need
to know to be informed participants
in civic life

• the ability to navigate the


rules and processes of
skill citizenship and
governance in our society
(critical engagement)
• the democratic ideals and
commitment to those
value ideals that motivate civic
commitment (equality,
liberty)
School education in india
• Education in Concurrent List: Federal (Union) as well as
Provinces (States) have the freedom to design the curricula.
• Federal level, National Council of Educational Research and
Training (NCERT) developes curricula of school education in
consonance with the principles of National Curriculum
Framework, 2005.
• State Council of Educational Research and Training
(SCERTs) and State Education Boards either adopt or adapt
NCERT’s model syllabi and textbooks or develop their own
syllabi and textbooks based on NCF.
• 18 Provinces use NCERT textbooks; Rest 18 have adapted to
it.
Electoral Literacy targeted for School
students (in ‘000)
Level Girls Boys Total
Upper Primary (VI- 32035 33746 65781
VIII)
Secondary (IX-X) 17477 19484 36961
Senior Secondary 10406 11747 22153
(XI-XII)
Total 124895
Social and Political Life – I, II, III
Upper Primary Stage
Class VI Social and Political Life-I (2006)
Chapter 3 What is Government? (pp. 32-34)
Chapter 4 Key Elements of a Democratic Government (pp.
36-37)

Class VII Social and Political Life-II (2007)


Chapter 1 On Equality (pp. 4-6)
Chapter 3 How the State Government Works (pp. 30-41)

Class VIII Social and Political Life-III (2008)


Chapter 1 The Indian Constitution (pp. 12-13)
Chapter 3 Why Do We Need a Parliament? (pp. 30-41)
Democratic Politics–I and II
Secondary Stage
Class IX Democratic Politics-I (2006)
Chapter 1 Democracy in the Contemporary World (pp. 11-12)
Chapter 2 What is Democracy? Why Democracy? (pp. 24-39)
Chapter 3 Constitutional Design (pp. 44-51)
Chapter 4 Electoral Politics (pp. 56-76)

Class X Democratic Politics-II (2007)


Chapter 6 Political Parties (pp. 71-88)
Chapter 7 Outcomes of Democracy (p.90-92,95-96,98-99)
Chapter 8 Challenges to Democracy (p.106,108-111)
Senior Secondary Stage

 Chapter 1:
Constitution: Why
and How? (pp.
4,12-16,18)
 Chapter 3: Election and
Representation (pp.
51-77)
Do you know when the last Assembly
election was held in your state? Which
other elections have taken place in your
locality in the last five years? Write down
the level of elections (National, Assembly,
Panchayat, etc.), when were they held and
the name and designation (MP, MLA, etc.)
of the persons who got elected from your
area. Why do we need elections?

Elections have become a part and parcel


of our democratic life. No one can
imagine a situation where a government
would disrespect the verdict of an
election. Similarly, no one can imagine
that a government would be formed
without holding elections. In fact,
regularity and periodicity of elections
has earned fame for India as a great
democratic experiment.
Textbooks for electoral literacy
• The textbooks in these subject areas aim to promote
education for democracy.
• Various electoral issues are described and explained
in a child-friendly manner with help of visuals to
engage attention of students.
• They provide ample scope for discussion and debate
in the classroom, especially using the in-text
questions, exercises and activities.
• Moreover, the activities in the textbooks are aimed at
making learners take greater interest in the electoral
issues in their respective localities.
• These issues also provide space for moving beyond
the textbooks and connect with the real world.
ECI with Schools: SVEEP
National Voters Day: 25 January and VOTER’s PLEDGE

Institutional linkages with education department

Concept of campus ambassadors

Sankalp Patra

Edutainment
VOTER’s PLEDGE IN SCHOOLS
• “We, the citizens of India, having abiding faith
in democracy, hereby pledge to uphold the
democratic traditions of our country and the
dignity of free, fair and peaceful elections, and
to vote in every election fearlessly and
without being influenced by considerations of
religion, race, caste, community, language or
any inducement”
Campus Ambassador
Facilitating the voter registration by providing forms and guiding
how to fill forms both manually and on-line and co-ordinating with
the election machinery for approval of new applications, correction
and distribution of voter cards to the campus electorate
Organizing special drive for registration i.e. correction of errors,
transposition of names, voting process and ethical voting with the
help of local Election office
Creating core team of students to work as volunteers for the
SVEEP activities in the campus
Organizing talk/workshops etc. for capacity building in voter
education among student community
Organising National Voters’ Day programme in their campus
World’s Largest Rangoli in Uttar Pradesh: Created by more than 770 students
The largest rangoli, 190,000 sqft in area and a mammoth map of India using 240,000 candles
were among the high visibility activities taken up in Bulandshahr to motivate people to vote in the
elections
Edutainment for students
challenges opportunities
Thanks a lot

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