ECI Conducts Online Assessment and Briefing for ROs and AROs Ahead of Bihar Elections
The Election Commission of India (ECI) concluded its two-day Conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) at the India International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi on Thursday.
Training covers nomination process and ECINet Presiding Officer module for real-time polling data
New Delhi, October 11: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has conducted a comprehensive online training and assessment programme for Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) in preparation for the upcoming Bihar Legislative Assembly elections and bye-elections.
Held on October 9 and 10, the session included an online assessment and doubt-clearing exercise focused on the nomination process and other procedural aspects of election management. A total of 243 ROs and 1,418 AROs participated virtually.
The Commission, which appoints ROs under Sections 21 and 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, emphasized the critical role these officers play in ensuring the conduct of free and fair elections. The ECI noted that the interactive sessions will continue in phases, covering areas such as qualification and disqualification of candidates, Model Code of Conduct (MCC), withdrawal of nominations, symbol allotment, poll-day arrangements, and counting procedures.
To strengthen field preparedness, National Level Master Trainers are assisting participants by addressing queries and standardizing operational practices.
In a parallel exercise, the ECI also organized an online briefing for Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), District Election Officers (DEOs), and ROs on the Presiding Officer module of ECINet, which is being progressively rolled out across polling stations. The module enables Presiding Officers to upload voter turnout data every two hours via the ECINet App, ensuring near real-time aggregation of polling trends at the RO level.
The Commission plans to conduct a trial run of the ECINet Presiding Officer App at all polling stations before the actual polling day to test data transmission and system integration.
These initiatives complement the state-level training programmes being conducted by Chief Electoral Officers to ensure complete readiness for the forthcoming elections in Bihar and other states.
