Invited talk on “Responsibility of students in Ensuring Free and Fair Elections”.

Resource Person:

Dr Bhamy Shenoy

Governing Council Member

NIITE Engineering College

Columnist, DH

Objectives:

To expose the students on the importance of Political participation

To give them knowledge on their responsibilities in ensuring fair election

In view with the Karnataka State Assembly 2023 the department of Sociology and Political Science organised an invited talk on “Responsibility of students in Ensuring Free and Fair Elections” on 6^th May 2023 at 11:30 am in college chapel Hall. on “Responsibility of students in Ensuring Free and Fair Elections”.

The session started by welcoming the guest Dr Bhamy Shenoyand the gathering. Ms Panchama, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science introduced the guest of the day.

The resource person Dr Bhamy Shenoy explained that elections and other political processes are pivotal to the quality of a country’s governance and can either greatly advance or set back a country’s long-term democratic development. In order to achieve this, elections should be transparent, inclusive, and accountable, and there must be equitable opportunities to compete in the elections.

He stressed that most fundamental principle defining credible elections is that they must reflect the free expression of the will of the people.He spoke that constitutional democracy; elections provide an opportunity to ascertain the popular will in regard to the governance of the country. Election is the act of choosing an individual usually for holding public office through free will of the people in a representative democracy.

The speaker threw light on the present situation that how Money power is a crucial factor in elections since modern devices of election propaganda are expensive. The availability of large funds ordinarily tends to increase the number of votes a candidate will receive. This money often takes the course of black money and is collected through illicit means which in turn affects the whole system.

Speaking on the concept of free and fair election he said even preliminary stages to election such as delimitation of constituencies, preparation, revision or amendment of electoral rolls and many others are included in it. He stressed on some case studies across the states of our country. He shared the opinion that Concept of free and fair election mainly relates to political liberty and equality. In matters of election, it implies that no one, under the electoral process, is in bondage of another, having his personal rights, social and political liberty, free thinking and choice subjected to a legal discipline.

He gave a call to the students that while exercising the right to vote one should not be under undue influence of party discipline, religion, caste, creed, sex, language and also one is not under the strain of corrupt practices and so on. Thus, free and fair elections are the foundations of democratic form of government.Finally, he concluded that youths to be more responsive in ensuring Free and fair electionswhere they can vote for the contestant of their choice without any pressure.He concluded his talk that youths are the nation builders and they should be informed and be more responsible in political participation. Later on, during the interaction session the students’ doubts were cleared and the programme was concluded with vote of thanks by honouring the guest with a token of appreciation.

Outcome:

The students were able to understand on free and fair elections.

The students were able to understand their role in political participation.