New Delhi, July 17: A 12-member delegation of journalists from Meghalaya, including two from Garo Hills, joined nearly 450 media professionals from 36 States and Union Territories at the All India Media Conference 2026, organised by the Election Commission of India (ECI) at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi on Friday.
The day-long conference focused on strengthening the media’s role in promoting free, fair and informed elections, while familiarising journalists with the electoral process and the Election Commission’s latest initiatives.
The programme featured technical sessions on the media’s role in deepening democracy, the ECINET digital platform and the increasing use of technology in elections. Participants were also briefed on constitutional provisions, election laws and recent judicial developments related to the electoral process.
Journalists received hands-on demonstrations of electoral roll preparation, polling procedures and vote counting, offering a first-hand understanding of how different stages of elections are conducted. A quiz competition was also organised during the event.
Addressing the conference, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise was aimed solely at ensuring clean and accurate electoral rolls by removing entries under the ASDGF categories—Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate, Foreigners and Fake voters—while ensuring that every eligible Indian citizen aged 18 years and above remains on the rolls.
He said any elector whose name is wrongly deleted can seek restoration through claims, objections or appeals.
Explaining the legal framework, Kumar said voter eligibility is determined by Article 326 of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act, 1955, with citizenship, age and ordinary residence being the key criteria. He added that mapping current electoral rolls with older voter lists allows many electors to be verified without requiring additional documents.
The Chief Election Commissioner said more than 60 crore electors had already been covered under the SIR exercise and thanked citizens for their cooperation. He maintained that the revision process was constitutionally and legally valid and had been upheld by the Supreme Court. He also noted that several countries were studying India’s electoral roll verification process.
Referring to public discourse around the exercise, Kumar said misinformation had created unnecessary confusion and urged the media to help disseminate factual information. He also announced renewed efforts to strengthen Electoral Literacy Clubs in schools, colleges and universities to encourage greater electoral awareness among young voters.
The conference concluded with an interactive session, giving journalists from across the country, including the Meghalaya delegation, an opportunity to engage directly with Election Commission officials and gain a deeper understanding of India’s electoral system and ongoing electoral reforms.
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