Partnering with government: Gujarat experience

Partnering with government: Gujarat experience

Anita Karwal

CEO, Gujarat

KABBP Endline Survey

• Knowledge Attitude Behavior Beliefs Practices Survey

• Helped gauge women’s participation issues to some extent

• Conducted after General Assembly elections 2012

• During February-March 2013

Chief Electoral Officer, Gujarat State

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDYThe precise objectives of the study are:• To evaluate the enrolment status of electors.• To study the reasons for participation and non-

participation of the voters in the Assembly elections.

• To study the impact of interventions of the Election Commission of India and the Chief Electoral Officer on electors.

• To assess the efficacy of SVEEP on Knowledge, Attitude, Behaviour, Belief and Practices (KABBP) amongst electors and evaluate its impact on voter turnout.

3

SAMPLE• 6,414 electors • From 104 polling booths • Taken from one Assembly Constituencies from

each of the 26 districts• Represented by little more than 60 electors

each • Contacted personally by 52 field investigators

for collection of primary data

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Reasons for voting in the election (5491/6414)

5

Sr. Sr.

No.No.Reasons for voting in the electionReasons for voting in the election

FrequenFrequen

cycyPercePerce

ntnt

1 It was my right and duty. 4,516 37.42

2 It was a good and correct thing to do. 1,424 11.80

3 I had a Voter slip. 1,276 10.58

4 I had an Electoral Photo ID card (EPIC). 1,173 9.72

5 I knew the candidate. 635 5.26

6 Influenced by Family 414 3.43

7Because BLO educated me about my rights and duties

410 3.40

8Candidate visited my house and asked me to vote.

408 3.38

Reasons for not voting in the election (923/6414)

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Sr. Sr. No.No.

Reasons for voting in the electionReasons for voting in the electionFrequenFrequen

cycy1 I was not in my constituency. 2112 I did not have Electoral Photo ID card (EPIC). 1783 My name was not there in the electoral roll. 1624 I just did not want to vote as nothing will change. 855 I did not get photo voter slip. 676 I had migrated as casual labour to another place. 57

7Due to my preoccupation with household chores and upbringing of children.

33

8 Did not like the candidate. 329 Due to social customs and traditions. 31

10 I do not believe in electoral democracy. 2611 Polling station was located at a distance. 1912 Long queue. 1713 I did not know the polling date. 13

Sources / Channels for election related message / information

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Sr. No.Sr. No. Sources of InformationSources of InformationFrequencFrequenc

yyPercent

1 Newspaper 2,571 18.54

2Posters, hoardings and publicity materials

1,967 14.18

3 Doordarshan 1,634 11.784 Booth level officers 1,634 11.785 Sankalp patra from children 1,625 11.726 Government offices 744 5.367 Private Satellite Channels 682 4.928 Local cable TV 624 4.509 Video Vans 571 4.12

10From school /college going Children in family

499 3.60

11 Colleges 489 3.53

Activities participated in prior to election

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Sr. Sr. No.No. ActivitiesActivities

GenderGender

FrequencyFrequencyMales Females

1 Participating in village assembly / sabhas related to elections

753 253 1,006

2 Attending election meetings outside my village / area

285 89 374

3 Participating in campaign to urge people to vote

195 59 254

4 Introducing candidate/s in my area 144 27 171

5 Participating in the decision making process on the final choice of candidate

94 24 118

Total 1,471 452 1,923

Involving and Collaborating with Govt Departments

Participating State Govt. DepartmentsSl.no

Department Sl.no

Department

1. Education 10. Labour and Employment

2. Women and Child development 11. Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs

3. Health and Family Welfare 12. Sports, Youth and Culture

4. Water Supplies 13. Information

5. Social Justice and Empowerment 14. Ports and Transport

6. Urban development 15. Industries and Mines

7. Panchayat and Rural Development

16. Science and Technology

8. Tribal 17. Home

9. Agriculture and Cooperation


Non-participating State Govt. Departments

1. General Administration Department

2. Legal

3. Energy and Petroleum

4. Revenue

5. Finance

6. Legislative Affairs

7. Forest

8. Climate Change

9. Roads and Building


Objectives for Collaboration

• To tap on the existing resources and reach of the department for

voter education

• For registration, particularly of youth and women.

• For making efforts to include excluded groups

• For ensuring all the officers/ employees of that department and their

eligible family members are registered

• To display/educate/flash election material at events organised by

departments and ULBs


Education Department• Mandatory linking of voter registration with College admissions since April

2011

• Appointment of Designated Officers – details on CEO website.

• Appointment of District Cluster coordinators for coordinating the SVEEP

and registration activities

• Mid-Day-workers trained to facilitate registration of young female voters’

• Collaboration with NSS and NCC

• Mahila Samakhya Society present in 12 districts/4500 villages – have taken

up electoral and democratic process as one of their 5 empowerment issues


Discussion forums with students facilitated by Education Dept.


Education department - continued

• Adult Literacy tools for electoral literacy• Campus Ambassadors• School Ambassadors• Young Voters festival• NVD Quiz competitions • Participation in NVD• Message Carriers – Sankalpa Patras• BLOs


Women & Child Development Department

• Anganwadi workers trained to facilitate registration of young female voters' for increasing their

electoral participation.

• Have undertaken specific activities to attract female voters to register, and informing them how

married women can register.

• The use of satellite communication through BISAG to reach out to Aanganwadi workers and also the

beneficiaries of Anganwadis.

• Alphabetical lists display and facilitation at Aanganwadi

• Mobilizing young women for registration

• Supporting the BLOs in house to house verification


Health & Family Welfare Department

• ASHA workers, ANM trained to facilitate registration of young female voters' and increasing their

electoral participation.

• E- Mamta system – utilised for sending voter education messages to its beneficiaries.

• ASHA workers utilized for outreach purposes.

• Display of Voters awareness publicity material on PHCs and Sub Centers which create a good impact

on female voters

• Every Medical Colleges, Nursing Colleges, Ayurvedic, Homepathy and Natuoropathy Colleges have

Designated Officer for linking voter registration with admissions and for ongoing facilitation to

students.

• Circular issued on 8-10-13


Water Supplies Department

• The Pani Samiti is active in 8000 villages and is well structured and effectively trained.

• These samitis have active female members

• They help systematically identify those members who are unregistered, motivate them

to register with the help of BLO of concerned area.

• Dissemination of the message of voter awareness for voter turn out as prepared and

handed over by the CEO office, in all these villages.


Social Justice and Empowerment• Demonstration of Braille facility in EVMs at various

PSL

• Carrying our message for voter registration through their registered bodies for the differently-abled

• They have database of all inmates of old age homes, women’s homes, orphanages, etc. This was systematically collected and checked for registration with their help.

• Providing wheel chair facilities on Poll day


Urban Development Department• The marriage and birth Registrar is a designated officer of the ULB. Circular to link such registration

with voter registration.

• The property tax information of the entire state in urban areas is computerized and contains

information of Telephone Number too – examine for sending bulk SMS for voter awareness.

• All the 8 Municipal Corporations instructed to put a Moving Message Display Board dedicated to

SVEEP messages.

• The RWAs database is prepared by department and they help in locating missing voters and in

placing posters in every society giving details of their polling station address.

• The Corporations and Municipalities also sponsor the publicity material for voter’s awareness, and

hoardings.


GIS based posters at every society


Urban Development Department

• Exhibiting of Helpline number prominently on all Urban Transport including BRTS.

• Exhibiting of Helpline and registration facilities prominently in all recreations places

maintained by Corporation, Municipality such as Gardens, Parks, Gym etc.

• Giving election related services from Citizen Civic Centers.

• Wall painting competitions in the city to raise awareness.

• Circular for cooperation issued on 29-11-13


Panchayats, Rural Housing and Rural Development Department.

• There are 2.4 lakhs self help groups (SHGs) in the state with 28 lac female members.

• Dept. helped ensure all the 28 lakh female members and their eligible family members

register in the voter list.

• Their training is done simultaneously through SATCOM. Training on Voters' Awareness

as a part of this training programme.

• The Talati is the Registrar of Birth, Marriage & at the Gram Panchayats Office in rural

areas. By circular made mandatory to link all these with voter registration of particularly

young females.

• Sankalpa Patras exercise – both for literate as well as illiterates

• Organised all women voters rallies

• Facilitation at MNREGA and other workplaces


Sankalpa Patras


12,939 e-grams (CFC) in the state are centres for voter registration since September, 2013


Tribal• Folk Art competitions involving three generations

• Assisted in identifying excluded communities/pockets

• Grassroots employees helped in motivating for registration

• Local artists helped develop messages based on folk art

• Haats used for voter education


Folk art painting competitions


Agriculture & Cooperation Department• Of 1.5 crore members in all the cooperative societies most of the members of the Milk

Marketing Federation are Females.

• Helped identify unregistered members, and motivate them to register

• Print and display of publicity materials at all collection centers.

• To provide facilities for registration at all farmer training centers for its members/trainees.

• Circular linking subsidy with voter registration

• Voters education for farmers as integral part of education programme about better animal

husbandry practices.

• Circular issued on 15-11-13


Agriculture & Cooperation Department

• Search facilities at all Agricultural Colleges.

• Issuing instructions mandatorily linking admissions with voter registration process in all

Agricultural Colleges.

• Appointing Designated Officers in Agricultural Colleges.

• Print and display the Voters' education publicity material given by at all dealer outlets

and Primary Agricultural Cooperatives (PACs).

• Provide internet Search facilities at various outlets.


Labour & Employment Department• Facilitation for registration of

o Laborers engaged in different industrial units.

o Unorganised laboureres at construction sites, brick kilns, mining sites, etc

o Laboureres at MNREGA and other government works sites

• For this Labour Officer meetings with industrial units, labour contractors, etc in a

systematic manner.

• Department runs ITIs - Search facilities and Designated Officers in all it is

• Approximately 3 lac persons registered in Employment Exchange every year –

facilitating voter registration at at the time of registration at Employment Exchange.

• Resolution issued on 14-9-12


Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department

• Department has the channel of Fair Price Shops (FPS), LPG dealers and Petrol Pumps.

• Display of alphabetical list and facilitation for registration at FPS and facilitation for

registration

• Display of publicity material on FPSs, LPG dealer outlets and Petrol Pumps sponsored by

dealers themselves.

• Carrying the message of voter awareness and voter turn to women on LPG cylinders .


Detailed message on LPG cylinders


Sports, Youth & Cultural Activities Department

• Department has professional cultural troupes, who can contribute through street plays,

Bhavai, Dayro, Tamasha and other folk medium for voter awareness programmes.

• Department also has creative minds who are able to prepare content for these folk theaters

and Officers representing the dept. at every district are available.

• 814 organised by department out of about 1000 total

• NYKS functions through youth clubs, block level youth conventions and district level youth

conventions. They have a valuable role for voter awareness and voters education, particularly

in going house to house to engage women voters.

• 'Search Facility' for checking name in voters list in all libraries in the State


Information Department

• Department empanels agencies for making films, advertisements, designing hoardings, etc.

• Given the short time frame for concentrated efforts, this system is very handy for preparing creatives.


Ports & Transport Department

• Department has the channel of Bus Stations and Bus Stops

• Display of voters education/publicity material on Bus Stations, Bus Stops

• Facilitation for voters registration at the RTO for all who come for obtaining Learning

License or any other interaction as the footfalls are very high there.

• Buses having video facility run advertisements/quickies given by CEO office.


Industries & Mines Department

• Facilitation for obtaining sponsorships for various Voter Education events in the State.

• Ensuring printing and display of publicity material at all units in GIDC estates.

• Direction to all units at GIDC estate to provide Name Search facilities for their employees/

staff.

• Display of our publicity material at all venues of Tourism Department

functions/celebrations / festivals etc.


Science & Technology Department

• Ensure display of our publicity materials on all websites of all Department's.

• Providing “Search your name” link on websites of all departments

• Providing SATCOM facilities for simultaneous training of grassroots workers such as

Aanganwadi, ASHA and MDM workers

• Providing support to CEO office for implementing creative ideas for using IT for voter

awareness.


Home• On the basis of the previous records it is possible to find

out the list of Polling Stations where female turnout is low

• Police formed teams to visit each such PS area to meet the female voters to instil confidence

• In particularly low female turnout areas joint visit of SP and DEO was done

• SPs also took up innovative methods of confidence-building


Anand district SP and his men in a cycle rally


All departments

• Helped identify staff from excluded groups/communities for working in motivation teams

• Facilitating in Postal ballots – most employees voted for the first time


Central Government

National Service Scheme• There are 1,60,00 NSS volunteers in the state

• Campus Ambassadors appointed from amongst the NSS volunteers in Higher Educational

Institutions in 539/1032 colleges of the State.

• NSS Has huge participation in all SVEEP activities and in NVD

• Their volunteers have also taken up the responsibility of 10 households each for checking

whether all eligible family members are registered

• Campus Ambassadors coordinate with CEOs/DEOs office to pick up all creative and

communication material and ensure its dissemination in Higher Educational Institutions

through CAs.


National Cadets Corps

• There are 36 battalions of 550 students each in Gujarat State.

• NCC has been participating for voters awareness programme, NVD, etc.

• Each NCC Cadet also takes the responsibility of at least ten house holds to check if all

eligible members are registered, and if not, motivate them to register.


NCC marches


Telecommunication

• Bulk SMS• Dial tone jingle• Dial tone message


Door Darshan and AIR

• DD and AIR undertake several programme on voter education such as:

To prepare small films to show in between the programmes.

a certain chunk of news programme is dedicated only to matters relating to

elections, voter awareness and voter education.

Produce their own creative material and news material for spreading awareness

amongst voters.

Cover the process of the conduct of election in their various units through

interview/talk shows/ live phone-in with CEO/DEOs


CSC e-Governance Services India Limited,Ministry of Communications & Information Technology

• For providing voter registration through 12939 e-gram centers, they provided:– Training– Common portal for tracking number of applications and payment

• Sposnsorship of SVEEP animation films based on folk art

• Arranging for education of rural electors through multimedia


Banks

• Dena Bank Partnership

• Walk-in search facility in all 550 branches

• ATM messages

• Request made to all Banks in the state on 19-11-13


THANKS

Documents

Partnering with government: Gujarat experience