Parvaz wani cni
A Special Guest Lecture on the theme “One Nation, One Election,” was organized by the Indira Gandhi National Open University on 21st May 2025 at the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Sabhagar, IGNOU Campus. A keynote address was delivered by the Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Minister of Rural Development, Govt. of India. The event was also be graced by other distinguished dignitaries including Shri Sunil Bansal Ji National General Secretary BJP in the presence of Hon’ble Prof. Uma Kanjilal, Vice-Chancellor, IGNOU New Delhi.
The Hon’ble Minister in his presidential address expressed strong support for the concept of “One Nation, One Election”. He also said that holding simultaneous elections could reduce the overall cost of conducting elections, as the same infrastructure and personnel could be utilized for all elections, and simultaneous elections might reduce the administrative burden associated with frequent elections, allowing the machinery to focus on other important tasks. He also said that with the implementation of One Nation One Election could lead to more efficient governance, reduced costs, and increased stability, allowing the government to focus on long-term policy implementation.
Shri Sunil Bansal in his address said that implementing One Nation, One Election will have a strong impact in the nation building and said that synchronizing elections could lead to increased stability, as governments would have a fixed term to implement their policies and programs, reduction in the recurring costs, time, efficient use of resources, improved governance and increased stability.
The live session was part of a nationwide outreach initiative aimed at engaging academic institutions in vital policy dialogues for which IGNOU learners and staff members expressed keen interest and actively participated in post-lecture discussions, reflecting on the relevance of electoral reforms in today’s political context.
The lecture was streamed live on all IGNOU social media platforms, allowing students and faculty from across our regional centres to participate virtually. Q&A session from the students of some of the regional centres, across the country, was also followed after the keynote address of the dignitaries that has encouraged an interactive engagement of students. The audience appreciated the clarity and vision presented in the lecture. The session also stimulated meaningful discussion among attendees, especially students from various disciplines especially Political Science, Public Administration, and Law.
Regional Centre Srinagar has also made provisions for watching the live lecture which was watched by the officials, staff members, academic counselors, students and their parents in large numbers who enthusiastically attended the live lecture.
A similar provision was also made available in one of the Study Centers located at Amar Singh College Srinagar where the coordinator, part-time staff, IGNOU students, college students and other faculty members of the college actively participated and watched the live lecture with utmost interest.
Dr. A.H. Rizvi, Regional Director IGNOU expressed gratitude to the University for initiating such interactive and outreach programs and encouraged students to take an active interest in contemporary policy issues.(CNI)