New Delhi: During the 14th National Voters' Day Celebrations, the Honourable President presented the prestigious Best Electoral Practices Awards for the year 2023, recognising individuals and organisations for their exceptional contributions to the electoral process. President Droupadi Murmu acknowledged the pivotal role played by the Election Commission of India in nurturing the diversity of democracy. 

Awardees of Best Electoral Practices Awards for 2023

Vinit Nandanwar, IAS (Collector & DEO, Dantewada, Chhattisgarh) - General Award for Election Management
Recognised for achieving a remarkable 9.26% increase in voter turnout in the challenging terrain of Dantewada. His campaign, "Lon-Lon Dayo," resulted in an 86.1% postal ballot turnout through door-to-door outreach.

Divya Prabhu, GR (IAS) (DEO, Chitradurga, Karnataka) - General Award for Electoral Roll Management
Acknowledged for strenuous efforts leading to enhanced enrollment of young voters, persons with disabilities (PwDs), transgenders, and sex workers. PwD voters increased from 14,092 to 23,422 with 100% poll participation.

Dr Vipin Itankar, IAS (DEO, Nagpur, Maharashtra) - General Award for Voters' Education and Electoral Participation
Recognised for implementing "Mission - YUVA 2023-24" to address youth apathy and improve voter education. Efforts were made to enhance the gender ratio in the electoral roll and increase the enrollment of PwD voters.

Ansh Deep, IAS (Collector & DEO, Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan) - General Award for IT Initiatives
Acknowledged for designing the Election Buddy App, a comprehensive solution for election officials. The app integrated technology to improve communication and reduce delays caused by manual processing.

Saju Vaheed A, IAS (DEO, South Tripura, Tripura) - General Award for Accessible Elections
Recognised for ensuring Assured Minimum Facilities at all polling stations and enhancing efforts towards conducting inclusive and accessible elections.

Dr Ramesh Chand Yadav, IPS (SP, Dhalai, Tripura) - General Award for Security Management
Acknowledged for achieving zero poll violence and reducing the average response time for redressing poll-related complaints from 90 minutes to 22 minutes.

Vineet Kumar, IPS (SP, Champai, Mizoram) - General Award for Security Management
Recognised for implementing multi-layered checking using technology and physical checks within the district, resulting in incident-free elections and significant seizures.

Vikas Kumar, IPS (Nodal officer, Election Expenditure, Rajasthan) - Special Award for Election Management & Innovative Measures
Acknowledged for launching initiatives to curb the misuse of money power during the General Elections to the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly 2023, with a record seizure of illegal items worth Rs. 443 Crore.

Sarfaraz Ahmad, IAS (Joint Chief Electoral Officer, Telangana) - Special Award for Election Management
Recognised for initiatives in the purification of the electoral roll and printing and distribution of 45.72 lakh EPICs, leading to increased enrollment of young voters and improved gender ratio.

Rohan Saxena (CEO, Zila Panchayat, Niwari, Madhya Pradesh) - Special Award for Voters' Education and Electoral Participation
Acknowledged for streamlining the 100 Days "SVEEP Programme Strategy," resulting in a 5.10% increase in voter turnout in 2023 elections compared to the 2018 Assembly Elections in the district.

Syed Nasir Jamil (System Analyst, Chief Electoral Office, Jharkhand) - Special Award for IT Initiatives
Recognised for the effective implementation and coordination of IT-enabled activities, including campaigns like #ProudofMyBLO & #SeniorVotersVoice, facilitating voters at large.

Shikha C, IAS (Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, Karnataka) - Award for Govt. Department/Agency for Election Management (Expenditure)
Acknowledged for innovative strategies ensuring free and fair conduct of General Elections to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly 2023, with a seizure exceeding more than Rs. 300 Crore.

Reena Babasaheb Kangale, IAS (Chief Electoral Officer, Chhattisgarh) - Best Performing State Award for Election Management
Recognised for the overall conduct of free and fair elections in Chhattisgarh, including LWE areas. Innovative SVEEP campaigns like "Nav Vadhu Samman Samharoh" and "Chunai Tihaar 2023" contributed to the smooth conduct of elections in challenging regions.

ECI Media Awards 2023:

Rajasthan Patrika Group newspaper - Print Media
Awarded for the 'जागो जनमत' campaign covering various facets of elections through more than 1400 articles published during State Assembly Elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.

Radio Mirchi Bengaluru - Electronic Media (Radio)
Recognised for the 'EE SALA VOTE NAMDE' campaign during Karnataka Assembly Elections, creating a buzz that voting is a "cool thing" through informative videos, celebrity appeals, and live performances.

News State MPCG (News Nation Network) - Electronic Media (TV)
Acknowledged for the 'Vote Guru' campaign, with 300 minutes of special programs providing information on elections and voting rights, featuring experts, celebrities, and discussions with first-time voters.

These awardees exemplify excellence in their respective fields, contributing significantly to the success and integrity of the democratic process in India. Their dedication and innovative approaches have set commendable benchmarks for future electoral endeavors. /BI/