New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Delegates of the International Election Visitors' Programme 2026 (IEVP 2026) on Tuesday witnessed a live demonstration of EVMs and a mock poll, gaining hands-on understanding of India’s robust, tech-driven, and transparent electoral process, an official said.
A live demonstration of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) was held at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) for international delegates to IEVP 2026, the official said in a statement.
Addressing the delegates, IIIDEM Director General Rakesh Kumar Verma highlighted India’s enduring commitment to electoral integrity, inclusivity, and institutional excellence.
The live demonstration also offered delegates an insightful engagement, showcasing India’s secure, transparent, and technology-driven electoral framework, the statement said.
Under the IEVP, 43 delegates from 23 countries, including representatives from five Foreign Missions in Delhi, earlier participated in the first phase of the programme and visited Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry on April 8-9 to witness polling, the statement said.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar told the delegates that the ECI treats elections in India as festivals of democracy and works to ensure them in a mission mode.
He also called upon the IEVP participants to enjoy the visit to the states, learn, see, and experience the diversity of India.
Earlier, after India assumed the Chairship of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) for 2026, the IIIDEM launched three academic initiatives to deepen engagement with students, researchers, and academic institutions.
One of these included the Academic Outreach Programme involving immersive campus visits for universities to interact with election practitioners and experience electoral process simulations, ” said IIDEM on social media.
“Through the Student Connect Research Challenge, the institute invited undergraduate and postgraduate students to submit comparative research on electoral systems, with prizes worth Rs 7.5 lakh-plus, ” said the Institute on social media.
The IIIDEM will also host an International Academic Conference on Democracy and Election Management, bringing together scholars and experts on June 18 and 19, it said.