India leads democracies in transparent polls: CEC Gyanesh Kumar

📌 Summary:

• Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, on a three-day visit to Jammu & Kashmir, said India is leading the world's major democracies with a transparent electoral process
• Interacting with Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in Budgam, he said preparation of voter lists, voting and vote counting are concurrently audited by political parties or candidates
• He stated that after the 2026 electoral process, India is now chairperson of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA)

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 Polity — Election Commission of India, electoral transparency and integrity, India's role in global democratic institutions

📝 Prelims Facts:

• CEC: Gyanesh Kumar
• International IDEA is an intergovernmental organisation headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden; India holds its chairpersonship
• Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are responsible for preparing and updating electoral rolls at the polling-booth level

🔑 Key Term: International IDEA — Stockholm-based intergovernmental organisation supporting sustainable democracy and electoral assistance worldwide.