Exercise Your Right to Vote The General Elections to constitute the 16th LokSabhain India have been announced recently. Maharashtra will go to the polls in three phases on April 10, 17 and 24 for the forty eight Lok Sabha seats. The registration of new voters has been streamlined to ensure maximum voters registration. Simultaneously, precautionary measures are being taken to ensure enforcement of Model Code of Conduct in letter and spirit in the entire State. A total of 89,479 polling centres have been set up in 55, 907 places in Maharashtra for the 7.89 crore registered voters in the State. The Election Commission of India’s Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme has been effectively implemented through a vigorous media campaign to increase the voter turnout. Sitting at their home, the voters can now locate the polling booths through the website of Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra or get any other detail regarding the election process. The Government has geared up the law and order machinery in the State to prevent any untoward incident. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), State Police Force (SPF) and Home Guards will be deployed to strengthen the law and order and ensure free and fair elections. Maharashtra has a glorious history of free, fair and peaceful elections. Every citizen has the boundened duty to strengthen the democratic institution of the country. I appeal to all the voters to exercise their electoral franchise in large number with great enthusiasm. J S Saharia Chief Secretary Maharashtra State MAHARASHTRA AHEAD MARCH-APRIL 2014 3 MAHARASHTRA Contents Ahead 5 Empowering Women’s 53 Conducting Elections VOL.3 ISSUE NO.10 MARCH-APRIL 2014 `50 Leadership Smoothly - Smt. Neela Satyanarayana, - Prasad V. Kulkarni State Election Commissioner Editor-in-Chief 55 The Voting Procedure Pralhad Jadhav 7 We Need to Be Responsible Sowing the Seeds of Editor - Shri Nitin Gadre, CEO, Maharashtra 59 Kir Pande Democracy 9 Democracy’s Guardian Execu ve Editor - Smt. Neela Satyanarayana, Kri Lalla - Ajit Andhare State Election Commissioner Special Co-ordina on SVEEP - Eefforts to Increase New Weapons of Campaigning Shirish Mohod (State SVEEP Nodal Offi cer) 13 62 Voters Participation - Chandran Iyer Team Co-ordina on Edi ng Suresh Wandile - Shirish Mohod Evolution of Electoral System (Dy Director-Publica on) 64 - Anil Valvi Administra on Digamber Palve Understanding the Attitudinal (Sr. Assistant Director) 18 A Historical Perspective of Sales and Circula on Vilas Bodke Approach of Voters 67 (Assistant Director) General Elections - Shirish Mohod Produced by - Abhay Mokashi Maharshi Printers Private Limited 21 Action Plan for Changing Produc on Head: Prabhashanker Pandey Right to Reject Voters Approach 72 Consul ng Editor: Chandran Iyer - Dilip Sadhle Art - Sangeeta Choughule Art Director: Mahesh Jadhav Nurturing Democracy Sr. Designer: Arvind Avaghade 24 Cover Design : Seema Ranalkar Through Voters’ Participation Cover Concept : Prof. Gajanan Shepal - Sunil D. Mali Maharashtra Ahead is printed on behalf of the Directorate General of Informa on and Public Inclusive Way of Strengthening Rela ons, Government of Maharashtra, at 27 Maharshi Printers Private Limited Democracy 112, New Tejpal Industrial Estate, Andheri-Kurla Road, Sakinaka, - Smt. Geetanjali Baviskar Andheri (E), Mumbai - 400 072. 9 30 Putting a Cap on Poll Spending Published by Pralhad Jadhav at Mantralaya, - Neelesh Gatne Mumbai-400032 Le ers should be addressed to 33 Delimitation of Constituencies Directorate General of Informa on and Public Rela ons, New Administra ve Building, 17th Floor, Lok Sabha Constituencies Opposite Mantralaya, Mumbai-400032. 34 Email: [email protected] At a Glance Please visit the website h p://dgipr.maharashtra.gov.in 42 Involving Youth in the Eelectoral Process 27 - Milind Saraf 44 Signifi cance of Ethical Voting - Chandran Iyer 46 Everything About E Voting Machine Directorate General of Informa on and Public Rela ons 9 49 Outlining the Proper Election A Government of Maharashtra Produc on Practices 42 - Shruti Ganapataye Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the writers Empowering Women’s Leadership State Election Commission has launched a unique project to make the women in the local self government bodies mature in decision making and also to make them competent socially and politically, says Smt. Neela Satyanarayana, State Election Commissioner. he Government of India, T by providing 50 per cent reservation to women in the Panchayat Raj system has taken the first step to make them competent. As many as 98,669 women are functioning as office-bearers in 27,896 Gram Panchayats. It is the constitutional responsibility of the State Election Commission to conduct free and fair elections in the local self government bodies. It has been seen that due Smt. Neela Satyanarayana, State Election Commissioner to social or family constrains, women did not dare to Councilors in Local Self Bodies taluka (Wardha), and Jawahar, contest election independently. for Effective Decision Making Mokhada taluka (Thane), Some of them after being and Governance so that these where 266 women trainees elected as a member of Gram competent women members were present. The training Panchayat could not handle come forward as role model and format was conceptualized their responsibilities freely become a source of inspiration by the State Election because of the family pressure. for the other women who Commissioner. Mumbai’s In most of the families, their aspire to participate in Ryan International Education family heads handles the future elections. The project Institute had offered financial responsibility of that post. has been named after great assistance. The Training Taking note of this fact, the social reformer ‘Kranti Jyoti’ format is: The Government State Election Commission Savitribai Phule as a tribute • Three days workshop . of India, by has launched a unique project to her contribution to women • Training in informal to make the women in the education. The project was atmosphere. providing 50 per local self government bodies launched with inspirational • Use of means like games,songs cent reservation mature in decision making and slogan ‘Amhi Saarya Jani’ i.e. and practical instead of to women in also to make them competent ‘We the Women’. textbook information. the Panchayat socially • Competent team of trainers Raj system has and politically. The project PILOT PROJECT (2010) from State to rural level. taken the first Kranti Jyoti has been The first training programme, • Stress has been given launched for Socio Political in coordination with on information related step to make Empowerment of Women Symbiosis, was held at Selu to functiuoning of Gram them competent MAHARASHTRA AHEAD MARCH-APRIL 2014 5 VOTE Panchayat, social burning is available on www. THREE TIER issues, and personality krantijyotimaharashtra. TRAINING STRUCTURE development. blogspot.in. • The projects planning has State Level 50 Core been done by keeping in SUCCESS OF PROJECT Trainers mind the social binding. In the initial stage, training • Traning material has programme for women District Level been provided in the local councilors was successfully 500 District languages. conducted in ten districts of Trainers • Suceess stories of the women Kolhapur, Wardha, Pune, Taluka Level members also discussed Solapur, Satara, Sindhudurg, 20,000 Women to inspire newly contested Nashik, Thane, Amravati Councilors women members . and Nanded. Funds for the • Regular follow up programme programme were made at the end of training . The available by Zilla Parishad and State Election Commission KRANTI JYOTI district planning committee. had organised a training Socio Political As of date, training of 11,742 programme for chief trainers. Empowerment of women councilors has been Resource and Support completed. It has helped in Centre for Development Women Councilors enhancing their self confidence (RSCD) developed the in Local Self and efficiency. training programme for Bodies for Effective the implementation of the Decision Making and KRANTI JYOTI REVIEW… project, while the College Governance • Training of women of Social Work, Nirmala representatives from Thane Niketan had coordinated the district by Symbiosis in workshop. DISTRICT COORINDATOR January, 2010. AND FUNCTIONING OF • Training of women councilors SUBJECTS IN TRAINING CHIEF TRAINERS from Selu (Wardha) through PROGRAMME • Planning training workshops Symbiosis in April, 2010. • Functioning of Panchayat Raj for district level trainers and • Financial assistance by Ryan • Gram Panchayat budget providing training to them International in April, 2010. • Personality development and • Planning funds for district • State level chief trainer social illusions level projects training – December, 2010. • Superstitions and social • The training material includes • Launch of project in 10 issues and means to tackle chief trainers guide, panchayat districts on the occasion them raj functioning, geet malla, of Savitribai Phule’s birth • Success stories of women ordinance, poster, certificate, anniversary on January 3, • Discussion on local issues stationery, cloth bag. 2011. • Gender equality • The Kranti Jyoti presentation • Training of women councilors from Wardha and Kolhapur districts in April, 2012. 8 Taking note of the success 9 TARGET AREAS 10 Districts to be covered of the novel Kranti Jyoti 2 in the first phase: training programme of the 1 1. Thane 6. Sindhudurg Maharashtra Government,