Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP)

• In a bid to address voter apathy among young Indians, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) will both introduce and update textbooks to include content on electoral literacy and will advise State Education Boards and other Boards to follow suit.
• Beginning with classes 6 to 12 in all schools, this integration will also extend to the curricular framework for all colleges and universities.
• The measures are part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Election Commission of India and the Education Ministry.
• It is aimed at extending the ECI’s flagship Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) in schools and colleges.

ABOUT SVEEP

• Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation program (SVEEP), is the flagship program of the Election Commission of India for voter education, spreading voter awareness and promoting voter literacy in India.
• It was launched in 2009.
• Its primary goal is to build a truly participative democracy in India by encouraging all eligible citizens to vote and make an informed decision during the elections.
• SVEEP is designed according to the socio-economic, cultural, and demographic profile of the state as well as history of electoral participation in previous rounds of elections.
• The Commission produces several voter awareness materials and disseminates the same through various mediums/platforms of communication e Print Media, Electronic Media, Social Media etc.
• The objectives envisaged for SVEEP as per the strategy document for 2022-25 are-
  • Increase voter turnout to 75% in Lok Sabha elections 2024
  • To enhance the quality of electoral participation in terms of informed and ethical voting through continuous electoral and democracy education.