Students in the State to Become Aware of Their Voting Rights and Ethical Voting

MoU Signed Between Election Department and School Education Department

Jaipur, Aug 2025: A historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Monday at the Government Secretariat in Jaipur between the Election Department and the School Education Department to enhance electoral literacy and voter awareness. Chief Electoral Officer Mr. Naveen Mahajan and Secretary of the School Education Department Mr. Krishna Kunal signed the agreement. Under this joint MoU, the School Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELC) will be strengthened and their activities smoothly conducted in all government and private secondary/high secondary schools across the state, bringing the vision of the Election Commission of India to fruition.

While chairing the meeting, Chief Electoral Officer Mr. Mahajan stated that the Election Literacy Clubs are being formed and operated in government and private schools, targeting students from grades 9 to 12. An online monitoring system has been prepared for these clubs, with modules available for online ELC entry on the Shala Darpan portal and private school portal. Rajasthan could potentially be the first state in the country to develop a digital infrastructure for strengthening school ELCs. This will facilitate the pre-registration of all 17-year-old students studying in grades 9 to 12 for voter registration, ensuring that they receive their voter ID cards upon turning 18, thus enabling them to fulfill their duties as active voters in upcoming elections.

Mr. Mahajan mentioned that the objective of this MoU is to raise voter education, awareness, and democratic values among students at the school level and to cultivate an understanding of the electoral process among future voters. There are also plans to incorporate voter education-related curriculum developed by NCERT under the guidance of the Election Commission of India and the Ministry of Education, Government of India, into the state’s school education system.

Secretary of the School Education Department Mr. Krishna Kunal remarked that this MoU will lead to the holistic development of students, incorporating voter education and democratic values. He noted that ELC activities have already been included in the current session’s 2025-26 calendar. Chapters related to voter awareness are also being added under the National Education Policy. The ELC clubs operating in the state’s schools and the activities organized are continuously monitored at various levels by both departments through the Shala Darpan portal. He affirmed that this MoU will allow both departments to work with even greater commitment in the field of voter awareness and education.

Mr. Kunal said that through the MoU executed today, we pledge to develop a conducive environment for electoral literacy in schools, effectively educating our students about the importance and value of their votes, thus progressing towards a stronger democracy.

Launch of “Youth Chala Booth”

On this occasion, Chief Electoral Officer Mr. Naveen Mahajan also launched the quarterly departmental magazine titled “Youth Chala Booth,” initiated by the Election Department. He mentioned that this magazine will focus specifically on young voters and will primarily feature awareness activities taking place in the ELCs.

The event was attended by the state project director of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SMSA), Rajasthan Education Council and Commissioner of School Education Ms. Anupama Jorwal, as well as other senior officials from both departments.