New Delhi: Noting that information gap has
often proved "quite costly" in fair conduct of elections,
Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi on Monday said a fusion
of education and entertainment would be used to increase voter
turnout and encourage ethical voting in coming assembly polls.
"In my business of conduct of elections, information gap
has proved quite costly in terms of citizen participative
democracy and also rule of law in democratic electoral
process," he said.
According to the CEC, "Edutainment" is the best response
of present times for making cognitive, physical, emotional and
social development faster and smoother.
"There is a new attitude about leisure in the new
knowledge society. People want it for personal enrichment and
do not want it to be purposeless. The same citizens would also
not like to plough for knowledge in a dreary and dry land;
they would like it to be a pleasurable experience," he said
delivering the valedictory address at the 5th International
Entertainment Conference here.
He said, in Jharkhand EC decided to unleash its first
serious effort at voters` education to raise the very low
levels of participation in elections by turning to folk
entertainment.
PTI
