Two-Day Capacity Building Programme for Bihar's Electoral Field Functionaries Kicks Off

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched a two-day training and capacity building programme for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) from the poll-bound state of Bihar at the India International Institute of Democracy & Election Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi. This marks the third batch of BLOs to undergo such training from the state.

A total of 229 BLOs, 12 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and 2 District Election Officers (DEOs) are participating in the programme. Alongside, a one-day specialised training session for the State Police Nodal Officer (SPNO) and police personnel from Bihar also commenced today.

The training was formally inaugurated by Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar in the presence of Election Commissioner Dr. Vivek Joshi. The inauguration was followed by an interactive session with the participants.

The programme aims to familiarise BLOs with their statutory roles and responsibilities and to train them in the use of IT applications that ensure the preparation of error-free electoral rolls. These BLOs will subsequently form a cadre of Assembly Level Master Trainers (ALMTs), playing a key role in strengthening the BLO network across the country.

This initiative is part of the first phase of IIIDEM’s ongoing physical training efforts, under which 555 BLOs from the poll-bound states of Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam have already received training. Additionally, 279 Booth Level Agents (BLA-1s) from 10 recognised national and state political parties in Bihar have also been trained.

The parallel training for SPNOs and Bihar police officers is designed to enhance coordination between election officials and law enforcement, focusing on law and order management, vulnerability assessment, deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), and enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

IIIDEM’s training initiatives are part of India’s globally recognized electoral management practices, with over 3,000 participants from 141 countries, including major democracies such as the USA, UK, France, Brazil, and Australia, having benefited from its programmes.