Chandigarh, Jan 21:
1. Election Commission of India’s (ECI) 3-day conference International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026 began at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi today.
2. In a specially organized Reception Ceremony, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, Shri Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners (ECs) Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, welcomed nearly 60 international delegates.
3. The conference got underway with a grand Inaugural Session which was attended by nearly 1,000 persons including delegates from 42 Election Management Bodies (EMBs), Ambassadors/High Commissioners of 27 countries, experts from over 70 national institutions and senior officers of the ECI and 36 Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from across India.
4. Welcoming the participants, CEC Shri Gyanesh Kumar, said that the work of EMBs has evolved significantly over the past decades. India, as the world’s largest democracy, conducts elections on an unprecedented scale, encompassing 28 states and 8 union territories, with a population of 1.5 billion.
5. Describing the faith placed by citizens in the EMBs as precious, EC Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu said that at the heart of every election is a citizen, believing that their choice will be respected and it is the collective responsibility of EMBs to protect it.
6. Speaking at the inaugural session, EC Dr. Vivek Joshi said that IICDEM-2026 brings together EMBs, researchers, students and practitioners who view elections from different angles and contribute to their respective institutions.
7. Speaking on the theme of IICDEM-2026, DG IIIDEM, Shri Rakesh Verma said that the theme for India’s chairship, democracy for an inclusive, peaceful, resilient and sustainable world reflects a broad and multi-dimensional understanding of what democracy must deliver in the 21st century.
8. The participants viewed glimpses from the upcoming docuseries, “India Decides” produced in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery. Managing Director, Warner Bros. Discovery, Shri Arjun Nohwar in his speech said that the docuseries, through compelling visuals, portrays the general elections through the working of an institution that carries one of the most complex mandates anywhere in the world.
