Univs, colleges on admin radar for state polls
GURUGRAM: In a bid to increase voter participation among young people in the upcoming assembly elections, the district administration has launched an extensive voter awareness campaign. Officials are visiting 22 universities and colleges across Gurugram to ensure that first-time voters, particularly students aged 18 to 19, register for their voter ID cards and actively participate in the electoral process, officials said.
The administration’s aim is to engage this critical demographic group, whose voter turnout has been alarmingly low in previous elections—standing at less than 5%—despite an estimated 40,000 eligible voters in this age group.
The campaign, part of the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) initiative, is designed to encourage first-time voters to participate in the democratic process. District election officer and deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav, on Thursday reached out to students, offering guidance on how to register for their voter ID cards.
“Young voters are the future of our democracy,” said Yadav during one of the awareness drives at a private university. “We are committed to ensuring that every eligible first-time voter has the opportunity to register and cast their vote.”
The initiative has resonated with the student community, many of whom are engaging with the electoral process for the first time. Kaveri Yadav a firstyear student at a local university said, “I was not sure about how to register for my voter ID, but now I feel more confident about voting for the first time.”