Rizvi
Education Initiates
India’s
First Cent Percent Voter Registration Campaign
Rizvi Education Society, a
leading educational trust in the country, has launched India’s maiden ‘Cent Per
Cent Voter Registration Campaign’. This initiative envisages the registration
of each its students who fulfill the eligibility criteria in the electoral
rolls of the country. Rizvi Education has over 18,000 students enrolled with
its institutes. The pilot exercise targets achieving
greater student participation in the electoral process of the world’s largest
democracy.
“We recently submitted about 90%
of the eligible forms to the Election Commission. A core committee comprising
of students and faculty worked round the clock to make this happen,” says Mr.
Abis Rizvi of Rizvi Education Society, who has conceived the
campaign. “The initiative was launched with a two-fold aim. Firstly, we wanted
all our students to be conscious of the electoral process and participate in
it. Secondly, we want this to serve as a pilot project whereby other institutes
can launch similar campaigns thereby ensuring that no youth in the campus is
left out of the electoral process.”
The previous year, the college
had run a voter awareness campaign titled, Largest Democracy Lowest Voting.
Aimed at encouraging the youth to participate in big numbers in the BMC
elections that were round the corner. The campaign ran for nine days and
comprised of flash mobs, street plays, extempore debates and other activities
that were conducted across the streets of Mumbai. “It was during this campaign
that we realized many of the youth were not even registered to vote. Some were
not registered because of complacency, but many were unregistered because of
difficulties encountered during the registration process. This is when we
decided to step in and facilitate and encourage the process,” explains Mr.
Rizvi.
It has been observed that only
15-20 percent citizens in the age group of 18-19 are registered voters. And
from among the registered voters below 21 years of age, very few actually turn
up to vote. This is a major lacuna that needs immediate correction.
“We are now looking forward to
this being treated as a pilot project by other institutes. Active participation
of the youth is critical for India to be a vibrant and effective democracy,”
concludes Mr. Rizvi.
The campaign is part of the
extracurricular and social initiative campaign that the educational institutes
falling under the trust indulges in from time to time.
About
Rizvi Education Trust:
Rizvi
Education Society is a Public Charitable Trust established under the
Societies Act 1950 and registered under the provision of the Bombay Public Act,
1950. The main objective of the society is promoting education at all levels.
Rizvi Education Society began with the College of Arts, Science and Commerce
and Rizvi High School in the year 1985. It has now spread its wings and
branched into Rizvi College of Architecture, Rizvi College of Hotel Management
& Catering Technology, Rizvi College of Engineering, Rizvi Institute of
Management Studies & Research and Rizvi Academy of Management, Rizvi Law
College, Rizvi College of Education. Located at Rizvi Educational Complex, off
Carter Road, Bandra (west), Mumbai, the Institutes believe in giving due
importance to co-curricular and extra-curricular activities besides placing
strong emphasis on academic excellence.
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