Ranchi (Jharkhand): In a first, the Election Commission (EC) has decided to make it mandatory for polling officials to pass an online examination and training before they are deputed on poll duty. The decision will be implemented in the Mandar Assembly by-election in Jharkhand which is scheduled to be held on June 23. Generally, arrangements are made by the local district administration to train the polling personnel before every election
According to EC officials, those who were asked to take up the roles of the presiding officer, polling one and polling two personnel as part of the polling party for the Mander assembly by-election, appeared for the examination.
EC officials said that a candidate has to score at least 60 percent in the examination to be selected as a polling official. The examination will be conducted by the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology, Guwahati, Assam. During the examination, candidates will be required to answer 25 questions within half an hour and they will have to give correct answers to at least 15 questions to clear the test. Otherwise, they will have to undergo training and take the test again.
Joint Chief Electoral Officer Hira Lal Mandal says that usually, the election workers do not take it seriously during training, due to which they make many mistakes at polling booths on the day of polling. "In such a situation, after training, it has been decided to send only the person who passed out of the examination," he added.
Also read:ECI gives third and last extension to Jharkhand's CM Hemant Soren, asks him to appear on June 26
According to EC officials, if an election worker fails all three times, then it will be mentioned in his service record. There is also a provision to give an online instant certificate to the successful candidates. Priya Shruti, the trainer-cum-District Coordinator of NITI Aayog, who came to train the election personnel, said that it is a good initiative of the Election Commission adding that with this, the trainees themselves will know how much they have learned after training.
About Rs 3.50 lakh will be spent on conducting the examination. The amount will be paid by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer to the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology, Guwahati. EC officials said if the measure turns out to be successful then in the 2024 Assembly Elections, election workers in all 81 Assembly constituencies will be sent to the polling stations after they clear the test.
