President Ram Nath Kovind, on the occasion of the National Voters’ Day on Friday, said modern technology was instrumental in the successful conduct of elections, given the country’s vast geographical diversity.

Mr. Kovind hailed the Election Commission’s initiatives in the conduct of free, fair and participative elections, particularly for reaching out to voters in the remotest corner to include their names in the electoral roll and encouraging them to exercise the right to vote.

The President said the framers of the Constitution set up the Election Commission as an independent and constitutional body a day before the birth of the Republic of India, which reflected an immense regard and deep-rooted belief in democracy and the democratic spirit, he said.

Stating that it was difficult for an ordinary person to comprehend the complexity of the entire process, the President said the EC’s efforts had helped establish the credibility of the Indian electoral system and strengthen the belief of voters in the integrity, diligence, fairness and transparency of the election mechanism of the country.

Mr. Kovind said the voters and the Election Commission were complimentary to each other and formed the two most vital aspects of democracy. He also appreciated the various initiatives taken by the Commission under the SVEEP programme, particularly the Electoral Literacy Club Programme and the All-Women Managed Polling Station.

Addressing the gathering, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad complimented the EC for its role in strengthening the Indian democracy.

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora reiterated the Commission’s commitment to make elections more inclusive, voter friendly, transparent and festive.