Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has directed all District Election Officers (DEOs) to take immediate steps to reactivate and expand the Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs) in every assembly constituency in the state.
The CEO has also sought a compliance report from DEOs on all ELC activities conducted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) period by August 19.
In an official order issued by Deputy Chief Electoral Officer-cum-Deputy Secretary, Laxmi Prasad Sahu, the election authority reiterated the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) renewed focus on youth engagement, electoral awareness, democratic participation, and countering misinformation and fake news.
Despite a previous instruction sent June 8, 2026, in regard to the formation of ELCs, the performance and functional progress of the body across various districts have failed to meet expectations, the letter said.
In this background, the CEO office has instructed all DEOs to accord the highest priority to the revival programme. The initiative is to be executed in collaboration with a wide array of educational institutions, including government and private schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, Sainik Schools, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, universities, and colleges.
The CEO also issued fresh guidelines for revival and expansion of ELCs. It said that the DEOs will ensure active participation of school students from Classes 9 to 12 and college students in the 18–25 age group.
Appoint an ELC Coordinator, Nodal Teacher, or Professor in every institution, alongside nominating student Campus Ambassadors on a rotational basis. Assembly Constituency-level ELC Coordinators will also be appointed to track progress and share best practices, the guideline said.
This apart, the DEOs will also conduct mock polls, debates, EVMVVPAT demonstrations, and awareness drives on voter registration procedures, constitutional values, and ethical voting against fake news. The CEO said that the institutions should encourage eligible young voters to submit advance applications via Form-6 for voter roll inclusion. Integrate club initiatives with social media platforms to promote responsible digital behaviour among youth, it said.
The CEO office also noted that the active ELC members will receive participation certificates, while high-performing clubs introducing innovative literacy models will be formally recognised. It informed that the current status of active Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs) may be uploaded to the Google Drive link.
