Solan: First-time voters told to exercise right to franchise
Solan, April 5
In a bid to motivate and ensure the participation of young and first-time voters in the general elections, a one-day national awareness campaign was held at the Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni.
Over 250 first-year students of BSc Horticulture and BSc Forestry, mainly first-time voters, attended the event.
The event was organised by the Shimla Chapter of the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) as part of their nationwide effort, in collaboration with the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) of the Election Commission of India.
It focused on raising awareness about voter rights and the importance of electoral participation in a democracy. Dr Ranvir Verma, Chairman of the Shimla Chapter of PRSI welcomed the guests and informed that the society was a national association of PR practitioners established in 1958 to promote the recognition of public relations as a profession and to formulate and interpret the objectives and the potentialities of public relations as a strategic management function to the public.
Speaking on the occasion, Additional Commissioner MC Solan and District Nodal Officer of SVEEP Dr Priyanka Chandra emphasised the fundamental role each citizen plays in shaping the nation’s future through democratic practices. SDM Solan Poonam Bansal shed light on the different mediums through which new voters could register themselves and how the voters could remain vigilant.
She also informed about facilities given by the ECI to facilitate the participation of differently-abled and voters above the age of 85. She also explained about the Voter Helpline app, Electronic Voting Machine and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail to the first time voters.
