The Election Commission of India (EC) has set up a centre for election management to meet its huge internal training needs as well to train the election managing bodies of other countries.

The seventh floor of Nirvachan Sadan will house the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) till it gets its own campus.

Akshay Rout, a director general at the EC said that the institute is being “envisaged as a global research centre” and will offer various courses in poll management. “The initial phase of establishing IIIDEM is almost over,” he added.

Rout also informed that a Kenyan delegation of election officials will be the first batch to be trained at the institute at the end of June. The delegation of five to six members will attend a quick short term course of as many days into management of polling stations, design of ballot, registration of voters, electoral offences and electoral dispute redressal. The Kenyan officials will also visit neighbouring states for hands-on experience of electoral processes.

Four modules that will accomodate the courses will be the ones in Training and capacity development, Voter education and civic participation, Research , innovation and documentation and International projects and technical collaboration.

While the present infrastructure of the institute with three lecture halls and conveniences can house 150 participants, the EC is in talks with the governments of Delhi and Haryana for acquiring land to build IIIDEM’s own campus.