Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri Gyanesh Kumar, addressed the Stockholm International Conference on Electoral Integrity, emphasizing India's commitment to electoral integrity, its vast scale, and its diverse electorate. He highlighted the Election Commission of India's role in capacity building for Election Management Bodies globally. He detailed the logistical undertaking of Indian elections, noting the extensive coordination, personnel deployment, and the use of Electronic Voting Machines. Shri Kumar also emphasized the transparency of India's electoral roll sharing process with political parties and the inclusive nature of the Indian electoral system, catering to diverse demographics and geographic locations. On the sidelines of the conference, bilateral meetings were held with counterparts from various countries, focusing on voter participation, electoral technology, diaspora voting, and institutional capacity building.
Key Entities Referenced
Election Commission: The Election Commission of India, responsible for conducting elections.
CEC Shri Gyanesh Kumar: Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri Gyanesh Kumar.
Stockholm International Conference on Electoral Integrity: An international conference held in Stockholm focused on electoral integrity.
India: The Republic of India, referred to in the context of its electoral integrity, scale, and diversity.
PIB Delhi: Press Information Bureau, Delhi, the source of the notification.
Sweden: Country where the Stockholm International Conference on Electoral Integrity was held.
Election Commission of India ECI: The Election Commission of India, abbreviated as ECI.
Election Management Bodies EMB: Organizations responsible for managing elections in various countries.
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance International IDEA: Organization that organized the Stockholm International Conference.
parliamentary elections: General elections in India to elect members of parliament.
political parties: Political organizations participating in the elections.
general, police and expenditure observers: Individuals appointed to oversee the conduct of elections.
media: News organizations that report on the elections.
20 million personnel: Number of personnel involved in conducting elections in India.
Indias nearly one billion electors: The approximate number of eligible voters in India.
195152: The period of the first general election in India.
2024: The year of the most recent general election in India mentioned in the text.
2024 General Elections: The general elections held in India in 2024.
743 political parties: Total number of political parties that participated in the 2024 General Elections.
six national parties: Number of national parties among the 743 political parties participating in the 2024 General Elections.
67 state parties: Number of state parties among the 743 political parties participating in the 2024 General Elections.
6.2 million Electronic Voting Machines EVMs: The number of EVMs used in the 2024 General Elections.
Indias Electoral Roll: The list of eligible voters in India.
1960: The year from which India has been sharing its Electoral Roll with recognized political parties.
senior citizens aged 85: A specific demographic considered during the electoral process.
persons with special abilities: A specific demographic considered during the electoral process.
thirdgender electors: A specific demographic considered during the electoral process.
Tashigang in Himachal Pradesh: The highest altitude polling station in India.
Mexico: Country whose representatives Shri Gyanesh Kumar held bilateral meetings with.
Indonesia: Country whose representatives Shri Gyanesh Kumar held bilateral meetings with.
Mongolia: Country whose representatives Shri Gyanesh Kumar held bilateral meetings with.
South Africa: Country whose representatives Shri Gyanesh Kumar held bilateral meetings with.
Switzerland: Country whose representatives Shri Gyanesh Kumar held bilateral meetings with.
Moldova: Country whose representatives Shri Gyanesh Kumar held bilateral meetings with.
Lithuania: Country whose representatives Shri Gyanesh Kumar held bilateral meetings with.
Mauritius: Country whose representatives Shri Gyanesh Kumar held bilateral meetings with.
Germany: Country whose representatives Shri Gyanesh Kumar held bilateral meetings with.
Croatia: Country whose representatives Shri Gyanesh Kumar held bilateral meetings with.
Ukraine: Country whose representatives Shri Gyanesh Kumar held bilateral meetings with.
United Kingdom: Country whose representatives Shri Gyanesh Kumar held bilateral meetings with.
PKGDHRP: A release identifier.
Election Commission
CEC Shri Gyanesh Kumar Delivers Keynote
Address at the Stockholm International Conference
on Electoral Integrity
Highlights India’s Electoral Integrity, Scale and
Diversity
Posted On: 11 JUN 2025 2:07PM by PIB Delhi
Highlighting India’s electoral integrity, scale and diversity, Shri Gyanesh Kumar, Chief Election
Commissioner (CEC) of India, while delivering his keynote address at the Stockholm International
Conference on Electoral Integrity in Sweden last evening, reaffirmed the role of the Election Commission of
India (ECI) in capacity building programmes for Election Management Bodies (EMB) of countries around the
globe. Conducting elections with utmost integrity is a testament to our national resolve, he emphasized. Over
100 participants representing Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of around 50 countries are taking part in
the Conference, which is being organised by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral
Assistance (International IDEA).
Shri Gyanesh Kumar also informed the participants about the massive scale of the election exercise that is
undertaken by the ECI, especially during the parliamentary elections, which is done under the close watch of
the political parties; candidates; general, police and expenditure observers and the media who, he stated, act
akin to concurrent auditors at various stages. The CEC also highlighted the scale of coordination that
underpins the conduct of elections in India. With over 20 million personnel, including polling staff, police
forces, observers, and agents of political parties at the time of conduct of elections, ECI becomes the world’s
largest organisation, surpassing the combined workforce of several national governments and major global
corporations and ensures that India’s nearly one billion electors are freely able to exercise their franchise.
Further, speaking at this global platform, Shri Gyanesh Kumar traced the evolution of Indian elections over
the decades, noting how the system has adapted to increasing complexity while staying rooted in
constitutional values. From 173 million electors in 1951–52 to 979 million in 2024, and from just 0.2 million
polling stations in the early years to over 1.05 million today, India’s electoral journey has demonstrated both
institutional foresight and unmatched scale. He noted that the 2024 General Elections saw the participation of
743 political parties, which comprised six national parties, 67 state parties and the other registered political
parties. A total of 20,271 candidates contested elections conducted across the length and breadth of the
country using 6.2 million Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), reaffirming the Commission’s capability to
conduct elections that are inclusive, efficient, and secure.
Shri Gyanesh Kumar underscored the statutory sharing of India’s Electoral Roll with all recognized political
parties every year during revision as well as before the elections since 1960 till today, with provision of
claims, objections and appeals, as one of the world’s most rigorous and transparent exercises, reinforcing the
accuracy and integrity of the electoral process. He noted that this robust mechanism plays a vital role in
upholding electoral credibility across the country, year after year.
Reflecting on the inclusive design of Indian elections, he stated that the electoral process serves first-time
voters, senior citizens aged 85+, persons with special abilities, third-gender electors, and voters in the most
inaccessible regions with equal care and commitment. From polling booths with a single elector to highest
altitude stations like Tashigang in Himachal Pradesh, India’s commitment to leaving no voter behind was
reiterated as a constitutional principle rather than a logistical challenge.On the sidelines of the conference, Shri Gyanesh Kumar held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from
Mexico, Indonesia, Mongolia, South Africa, Switzerland, Moldova, Lithuania, Mauritius, Germany, Croatia,
Ukraine and the United Kingdom. These engagements focused on voter participation, electoral technology,
diaspora voting, and institutional capacity-building.
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PK/GDH/RP
(Release ID: 2135620)