- President to lead 16th National Voters’ Day as youth power India’s democratic outreach
- First-time voters honoured nationwide, including at Ahmedabad Collectorate
- ECI showcases reforms, Bihar election success and global leadership
- MY Bharat mobilises lakhs of youth through padyatra and Sundays on Cycle
- Democracy celebrated from polling booths to public streets
NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI / AHMEDABAD, JAN 24
India’s democratic ethos will resonate across the country on Sunday, January 25 as the Election Commission of India (ECI) celebrates the 16th National Voters’ Day (NVD-2026) under the theme “My India, My Vote”, with the tagline “Citizen at the Heart of Indian Democracy.”
While the national-level function in New Delhi will be presided over by President of India Droupadi Murmu, similar celebrations will unfold simultaneously across States, districts and polling stations—including a special event at the Ahmedabad Collectorate, underscoring the grassroots reach of India’s electoral process.
President to address nation, honour voters and election officials
At the New Delhi समारोह, the President of India will address the gathering, distribute Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) to newly enrolled young voters and present the Best Electoral Practices Awards.
The awards will recognise excellence in technology-driven election management, logistics, innovative voter awareness, Model Code of Conduct enforcement, training and capacity building, along with special and media awards.
Ahmedabad Collectorate to felicitate first-time voters
.Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India Director of Gujarat, S. Senthilkumar said that the main objective of this yatra is to make the new voters aware about their democratic rights and motivate them for active participation in the electoral process.
Prashant Pathrabe, Additional Director General, Press Information Bureau, Ahmedabad said that it is extremely important in today’s time to make the youth, especially the first-time voters, aware about their right to vote and such initiatives will encourage the youth to exercise their franchise.
On this occasion, District Youth Officer, My India , Gandhinagar Pritesh Jhaveri said that the main goal of this programme is to spread awareness among the new voters. Around 2000 youth will participate in the programme, out of which around 250 will be the youth who will be the first-time voters.
In Ahmedabad, the district-level National Voters’ Day programme will be held at the Ahmedabad Collectorate, where newly registered voters—especially first-time youth electors—will be felicitated and handed over EPIC cards by district election authorities.
Officials said the event will focus on youth participation, voter awareness and ethical voting, in line with the national theme. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and election staff will also be honoured for their role in strengthening electoral roll accuracy and voter outreach in the district.
The Ahmedabad event forms part of the nationwide observance led by Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) and District Election Officers (DEOs) across India.
ECI to unveil publications, highlight Bihar elections
As part of NVD-2026, the ECI will launch two key publications:
- “2025: A Year of Initiatives and Innovations”
- “Chunav Ka Parv, Bihar Ka Garv”, documenting the successful conduct of the Bihar Legislative Assembly Elections, 2025
A special film showcasing ECI’s global leadership in electoral management and democratic development will also be screened.
A curated exhibition will highlight the preparation of electoral rolls, conduct of elections, voter-centric reforms and best practices, including innovations adopted during the Bihar polls.
Youth take democracy to the streets with MY Bharat
Adding momentum to the celebrations, Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat)—an autonomous body under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports—will organise a National Voters’ Day Padyatra / Sundays on Cycle 2026 across all States, Union Territories and districts on January 25.
The initiative, aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of Jan Bhagidari in Rashtranirman, combines voter awareness, physical fitness and community participation, integrating the Khelo India / Sports Authority of India’s Sundays on Cycle programme wherever feasible.
At 36 State and UT capitals, around 1,000 MY Bharat volunteers will participate, while district-level events across 763 districts, including Ahmedabad, will involve about 500 volunteers per district, along with election officials, local administration and public representatives.
Democracy as a shared responsibility
Observed annually to mark the foundation of the Election Commission of India, National Voters’ Day seeks to promote informed, ethical and participative electoral engagement, with a special focus on youth and first-time voters.
From the President’s address in New Delhi to felicitation ceremonies at the Ahmedabad Collectorate and polling booths nationwide, NVD-2026 reinforces a simple but powerful message: Indian democracy thrives when citizens actively participate, not just on polling day, but every day.
