Bihar Election 2025: What are the 17 new initiatives launched by EC? From SIR to ECINet

Chief Election Commissioner of India (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar said on Monday that the Election Commission of India has implemented 17 new initiatives for the upcoming Bihar Election. He said this before announcing that the polls for 243 Bihar assembly seats will be held in two phases and the results will be announced on 14 November.

What are the 17 new initiatives launched by EC?

Here's a list of all the 17 new initiatives launched ahead of the Bihar Elections and how the Election Commission described them:

1. Training of Booth-Level Agents (BLAs): BLAs (appointed by political parties) were trained in various aspects of supporting the process of preparing electoral rolls, including the use of appeals provision under the RP Act 1950.

2. Training of Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) at IIIDEM: Over 7,000 BLOs and BLO Supervisors from across India, including Bihar, were trained at IIIDEM, New Delhi.

3. Training of police officers: Special sessions were conducted for the Bihar police to reinforce law-and-order preparedness during elections.

4. Special Intensive Revision in Bihar: Purification of electoral rolls in Bihar to ensure no eligible elector is left out and no ineligible person is included.

5. Enhanced remuneration for officials: Remuneration doubled for BLOS and enhanced for BLO Supervisors, polling/counting staff, CAPF, monitoring teams and micro-observers. Honorarium will be provided for EROs and AEROs for the first time. Provision for refreshments was also enhanced.

6. Fast delivery of EPIC: New SOP to ensure EPIC delivery within 15 days of an update in the electoral roll with SMS notification at each stage of delivery.

7. Photo ID cards for BLOS: Standard Identity cards issued to BLOs to enhance field-level transparency and public trust.

8. Mobile Deposit Facility at polling stations: This facility is available outside polling stations for depositing mobile phones by voters.

9. Clearer Voter Information Slip (VIS): Serial and part numbers are displayed prominently for easier verification of voters.

10. One-stop digital platform ECINet: Many important services on ECINet App, including near-real-time voter turnout updates. Presiding Officers to now upload turnout data on ECINET App every two hours on polling day in order to reduce the time lag in the updating of the approximate polling trends.

11. Polling station limit of 1,200 voters: Ensures reduced crowding, shorter queues, and additional booths in high-rise residential buildings.

12. Candidate booths allowed just outside 100 metres of PS: Booths by the candidates on poll day for issuing unofficial identity slips to electors can be set up just beyond 100 metres of any polling station.

13. 100% webcasting at polling stations: Monitoring to ensure that critical activities take place smoothly without any violation of the poll process.

14. EVM Ballot Paper guidelines revised: The ECI revises guidelines to make EVM Ballot Papers more readable; EVMs to have colour photographs of candidates for the first time.

15. Mandatory VVPAT count for mismatches: VVPAT slip counting in each and every case of mismatch between Form 17C and EVM data, and wherever mock poll data was not erased erroneously.

16. Streamlining counting of postal ballots: Penultimate (second last) round of EVM/VVPATs counting shall be taken up only after the counting of postal ballot papers.

17. Digital Index Cards & Reports: Technology-driven system to promote accessibility of election-related data at the constituency level for all stakeholders.

Bihar Election Dates 2025:

The assembly elections in Bihar will be held in two phases, with polling scheduled for 6 and 11 November, while the counting of votes will take place on 14 November, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced on Monday.

For the first phase, the last date of filing nominations is October 17 while the scrutiny will be held on October 18. The last date of withdrawal of candidature for first phase elections is October 20.

Similarly, for the second phase, the last date of filing nominations is October 20 while scrutiny will be held on October 21. The last date of withdrawal of candidature for the second phase elections is October 23.