425 senior officers, including IAS, IPS, and allied services, attended a session at IIIDEM in New Delhi
New Delhi
Ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday conducted a detailed briefing for General, Police, and Expenditure Observers who will be deployed as Central Observers for the state polls and bye-elections in other states.
The session at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi was attended by 425 senior officers, including 287 from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), 58 from the Indian Police Service (IPS), and 80 from allied services such as IRS, IRAS, and ICAS.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, emphasised the observers’ role as the “beacons of democracy” and the Commission’s “eyes and ears” in the field. Observers were instructed to ensure strict compliance with election laws, maintain neutrality, and deliver independent, real-time feedback.
Key instructions included thorough familiarity with electoral laws, active grievance redressal, and close monitoring of campaigning, polling, and counting. Observers were also tasked with field visits to assess polling station readiness and oversee voter-centric initiatives.
The CEC highlighted that their mandate stems from Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, empowering them to ensure free and fair elections.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar will visit Bihar on Saturday to review preparedness before the formal poll schedule announcement. The Bihar Assembly’s term ends on November 22, with multi-phase elections expected after Chhath.
