UGC Mandates All Higher Education Institutions To Include Electoral Literacy In Their Curriculum

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a circular urging Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to formally integrate voter education and electoral literacy into their curricula.

The UGC's notification reads, "This is in continuation of the UGC letter of even number dated 19th December, 2023. As you are aware, a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) has been signed between the Ministry of Education and the Election Commission of India (ECI) on 2nd November, 2023 to incorporate voter education and electoral literacy formally into the University/ College education system to prepare future and new voters for greater electoral participation. The Higher Education Institutions are requested to take necessary steps for operationalisation of the provisions of this MoU by making it an integral part of their functioning."

Check the official notification

Under the MoU, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) and the Department of Higher Education (DoHE) are tasked with the following actions:

• Integrate voter education and electoral literacy into the curricular framework of all colleges and universities, ensuring appropriate credit and hours for various disciplines.

• Update NCERT textbooks to include electoral literacy and encourage State Education Boards to do the same.

• Train teachers to effectively deliver electoral literacy in classrooms.

• Mainstream voter education content in teaching, learning, and assessment, including it in pre-service teacher education courses.

• Incorporate electoral literacy into adult literacy and basic education curricula, developing educational resources on electoral processes for lifelong learning.

• Regularly monitor the electoral literacy program across schools, colleges, and universities at both national and state levels, ensuring its objectives are met while maintaining a non-political and non-partisan approach.