CEC Gyanesh Kumar meets NRIs in Sweden

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday highlighted the technology-driven steps taken by the Election Commission to enhance voter participation, including among overseas Indians. In Stockholm to attend an international conference, Kumar underlined the Election Commission's focus on inclusive participation and civic engagement among non-resident Indians (NRIs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs). He highlighted initiatives such as the Online Voter Registration System and the Electronic Transmission of Postal Ballot Management System (ETPBMS), aimed at enabling greater participation of overseas voters.
Kumar has been invited to deliver the inaugural keynote address at the conference on election integrity. Over 100 participants representing around 50 countries are taking part in the conference, which is being organised by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) in collaboration with the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish Election Authority, and the Australian Electoral Commission. The key focus areas include disinformation, digital disruption, electoral security, climate-related risks, and the role of Artificial Intelligence in elections, which will come up for discussion.
As the world’s largest democracy, India has maintained a longstanding partnership with International IDEA, contributing actively to global discourse through its institutional innovations and democratic experiences. Through various capacity-building programmes and conferences, the India International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Management (IIIDEM) is also emerging as a premier institute for electoral management excellence.