These participants included Media Nodal Officers, Social Media Nodal Officers, District Media Nodal Officers, District Public Relations Officers, and senior officers of state public relations departments. Deputy Director of Public Relations from Udaipur, Gaurikant Sharma, also participated in the conference.
Clear Message from the Chief Election Commissioner
Addressing the conference, Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar shed light on the commission's functioning. He said, "Every action of the Election Commission is carried out with complete transparency in accordance with the Constitution, electoral laws, and the written instructions of the commission."
He cautioned the officers against false and misleading information spreading on social media. Shri Kumar called for them to play an active role in effectively refuting this information.
Mentioning the record voter turnout in the recently concluded assembly elections, he described it as proof of the deep faith of Indian voters in the democratic system and the electoral process.
Special Focus on Digital Challenges
On this occasion, Election Commissioner Dr. Vivek Joshi focused on the serious challenges of the digital age. He said that artificial intelligence (AI), deepfakes, and other misleading content are emerging as a major threat to the credibility of democratic institutions.
Dr. Joshi urged the officers to effectively combat these challenges by following the commission's rules, guidelines, and established procedures.
He specifically discussed in detail the challenges arising from AI and deepfakes and shared a concrete strategy for dealing with misleading and malicious content. He emphasized swift and factual communication as per the commission's guidelines.
Practical Training and Workshop
During the conference, detailed discussions were held on communication strategies for various stages of the election cycle. This included the process from preparing the voter list to polling and counting of votes.
Participants were given practical training on several important topics. These included ECIINET, constitutional provisions, media-related laws, preparing press notes, and the effective use of media and social media.
Additionally, training was also provided on refuting myths and fake news, and on ways to connect the youth with the democratic process through Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs).
During the program, participants were divided into groups to demonstrate the process of voter list creation, polling, and vote counting. Finally, a visit to an exhibition and media corner was organized, followed by a question-and-answer session with the commission's officers, where the participants' queries were resolved.
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