Students asked to vote

Hyderabad, Nov. 10: The State Election Commission is taking out a special drive to enrol more students in the voters’ list. This follows reports that students in universities are not keen on voting as they have no voter’s identity card. In collaboration with Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and a voluntary organisation, Janagraha Centre for Citizenship, the SEC will organise awareness and enrolment campaign in universities.

It will conduct a campaign on the Osmania University campus next week. "Most students have no voter ID cards and we want to encourage them to register in the voter’s list," said the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr I.V. Subba Rao. "We are starting our awareness campaigns and enrolment drives in the important colleges and universities next week."

The SEC officials said that students had no idea how to enroll in the voters’s list and this was the reason for the special drive. The commission will also give the students application forms for voter ID cards during these campaigns. A team from the NGO will also tour the other universities in the next two months.

The commission has asked the education department to direct teachers and professors to ensure that all students above the age of 18 were enrolled in the voter’s list. Citizens with old voter ID cards can also exchange them for new ones in 48 e-seva centres across the city from next week and can check details of their polling booth and constituency through the toll free number 1100.