Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Friday that a staggering 96.88 crore individuals are eligible to cast their votes in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, establishing it as the largest electorate globally. Following an extensive Special Summary Revision 2024 (SSR 2024) initiative spanning several months and in anticipation of the General Elections in India, the ECI has released the electoral rolls encompassing all states and Union Territories (UT) across the nation.Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Surge in female voter registrationsThe newly published electoral rolls underscore a notable surge in female voter registrations, signalling a significant stride towards gender equality in the electoral process. Out of the over 96.88 crore registered voters, approximately 1.41 crore constitute female electors, surpassing the recently enrolled male voters by more than 15%. The gender ratio has exhibited improvement from 940 in 2023 to 948 in 2024, reflecting the burgeoning participation of women in Indias democratic sphere.Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Empowering young electors, Persons with Disabilities (PwD)A commendable inclusion in the electoral roll is the addition of over 2 crore young electors aged between 18-29, facilitated by tailored assistance at the constituency level to streamline their enrolment process so that they can vote in the upcoming political contest. Furthermore, special emphasis has been placed on accommodating Persons with Disabilities (PwD), with approximately 88.35 lakh PwD electors enlisted in the electoral roll database, ensuring equitable access and representation on polling day.Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Rigorous scrutiny ensuring integrityA meticulous house-to-house verification procedure has resulted in the elimination of entries belonging to deceased individuals, those permanently shifted, and duplicate electors from the electoral rolls. A total of 1,65,76,654 such entries have been expunged, reinforcing the integrity and sanctity of the electoral process.Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Focus on Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG)The electoral roll initiatives have specifically targeted the achievement of 100% registration among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG), marking the rolls as the most inclusive to date.Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Election Commissions mandate, approachThe Election Commission, guided by the Constitution of India and the Representation of the People Act, 1950, spearheaded the Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls with meticulous planning. The Commissions objectives centred on crafting accurate and comprehensive electoral rolls, ensuring universal suffrage and upholding the integrity of the electoral framework.Transparency, purity, health, and inclusivity served as pivotal principles in the preparation of electoral rolls. Strategies encompassed regular consultations with political entities, elimination of redundant entries, rectification of discrepancies, and targeted endeavours to enhance enrolment across diverse demographics.
