The Election Commission of India (ECI) will host the inaugural India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026 from January 21 to 23 at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital.
Organised by the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), the three-day conference is expected to be the largest international gathering hosted by India in the field of democracy and election management. According to an official release, nearly 100 international delegates from over 70 countries will attend the event, along with representatives of international organisations, foreign missions in India, and academic and professional experts working in the electoral domain.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, will receive the delegates and formally flag off the conference at the inaugural session on January 21.
The programme will feature a mix of general and plenary sessions of Election Management Bodies (EMBs), including the inaugural session, an EMB leaders’ plenary, EMB working group meetings, and multiple thematic sessions. These discussions will focus on global electoral challenges, international electoral standards, and innovations and best practices in election processes.
As part of the conference, 36 thematic groups will conduct detailed deliberations. These groups will be led by Chief Electoral Officers of States and Union Territories and supported by national and international academic experts. Leading academic institutions, including four Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), six Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), 12 National Law Universities (NLUs), and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), will also take part in the discussions.
The ECI will hold over 40 bilateral meetings with various EMBs during the conference to expand dialogue and cooperation on common challenges faced by election authorities worldwide. During the event, the Commission will also formally launch ECINET, its integrated digital platform designed to provide comprehensive election-related information and services.
An exhibition highlighting the scale and complexity of conducting elections in India will run alongside the conference. The exhibition will also showcase recent initiatives undertaken by the ECI to strengthen electoral roll preparation and the conduct of elections. Additionally, the docuseries “India Decides”, which documents the conduct of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, will be screened on the opening day of IICDEM 2026.
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