Pune District Collector Dr. Suhas Divase has urged all colleges to ensure 100% voter registration among eligible students.
Speaking at the inauguration of a training session for college coordination officers and goodwill ambassadors, organized by the SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) Management Cell, Dr. Diwase emphasized the importance of increasing youth involvement in the election process.
Dr. Divase noted that the district election administration has been striving to boost youth engagement in elections. The Election Commission of India’s special brief revision program recently revealed an increase in new voters aged 18 to 29 in the district's final voter list.
However, he pointed out that many college students still need to be registered as voters. He urged colleges to conduct various voter awareness initiatives and stressed the need for coordination officers to maintain active communication and coordination with students to achieve full registration.
Dr. Diwase commended colleges for their effective voter registration and awareness campaigns during the previous Lok Sabha general elections and encouraged similar cooperation for the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections.
Additionally, Dr. Diwase informed the audience about the nomination of twelve forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, including Shivneri, Lohgad, and Rajgad, under the 'Maratha Military Landscape' for World Heritage status. He invited students to contribute ideas and suggestions for promoting these forts by contacting the Archaeology Department.
Deputy District Election Officer Minal Kalaskar emphasized the need to provide voters with information about polling stations during elections and to assist vulnerable groups, including senior citizens and women, on voting day.
Deputy Collector and SVEEP Coordinator Archana Tambe announced plans for constituency-specific voter awareness activities in the lead-up to the Legislative Assembly elections, emphasizing the critical role of colleges in these initiatives.
She encouraged coordination officers to organize voter awareness programs and foster an election-centric atmosphere using resources like the Election Commission of India’s website and the Voter Helpline App.
She also announced that the top three colleges with the most significant voter awareness activities would be honored by the District Collector's office.