ECI Trains BLOs and Police Officers from Bihar to Ensure Transparent Elections

A total of 229 BLOs, along with 12 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and 2 District Election Officers (DEOs) from Bihar, are actively participating in this training module.

 

In a significant step towards strengthening grassroots-level electoral administration, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is conducting an intensive two-day training and capacity-building programme for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi. This initiative, which marks the third such batch from the poll-bound state of Bihar, underscores the ECI’s commitment to conducting free, fair, and error-free elections through a robust electoral workforce.

Participants and Inauguration

A total of 229 BLOs, along with 12 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and 2 District Election Officers (DEOs) from Bihar, are actively participating in this training module. Parallelly, a specialized one-day training session has also been launched for the State Police Nodal Officer (SPNO) and several Police Officers from Bihar. These sessions aim to strengthen law enforcement coordination and enhance preparedness for the upcoming elections.

The training was inaugurated at IIIDEM by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Shri Gyanesh Kumar, with Election Commissioner Dr. Vivek Joshi also in attendance. The dignitaries emphasized the importance of BLOs in India’s electoral ecosystem and engaged in a comprehensive interaction with the participants.

Focus Areas of the Training

The programme has been meticulously designed to provide BLOs with both theoretical knowledge and hands-on exposure to their statutory roles and responsibilities. It also seeks to equip them with modern IT tools and digital applications that play a crucial role in maintaining accurate and error-free electoral rolls.

Some key areas covered in the training include:

• Voter registration and verification procedures

• House-to-house verification methods

• Electoral roll purification using digital tools

• Role in grievance redressal and voter outreach

• Handling of BLO registers and communication with political parties

• Introduction to latest IT platforms such as Garuda, Voter Helpline App, and NVSP

The BLOs trained during this session will form the next cadre of Assembly Level Master Trainers (ALMTs). These ALMTs will further train BLOs across Bihar and other parts of the country, amplifying the quality and consistency of grassroots electoral management.

Training for Law Enforcement Officers

Recognizing the pivotal role of law enforcement in ensuring peaceful elections, IIIDEM has also initiated training for the SPNO and district-level police officers. This module aims to foster better coordination between election officials and police personnel, particularly in areas such as:

• Law and order maintenance during elections

• Vulnerability mapping of sensitive constituencies

• Deployment strategies for Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs)

• Monitoring and enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC)

A Broader National and International Perspective

This Bihar-specific training is part of a broader first-phase strategy at IIIDEM, under which 555 BLOs from states like Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam, and 279 Booth Level Agents (BLA-1s) representing 10 recognized national and state-level political parties in Bihar have already undergone training.

Moreover, IIIDEM’s global stature continues to rise. Since its inception, the institute has hosted over 3,000 participants from 141 countries, including representatives from major democracies such as Australia, USA, UK, Brazil, Russia, France, South Africa, Indonesia, Egypt, and Israel. These international collaborations reflect India's rising influence in the domain of electoral capacity-building and democratic institution development.

With the Bihar elections approaching, this dual-pronged training effort for BLOs and police officers demonstrates the ECI’s forward-thinking strategy to uphold electoral integrity. Through capacity building, technological integration, and inter-agency cooperation, India continues to set high benchmarks in democratic management—both domestically and internationally.