38 foreign delegates from 22 countries watch Assam, Kerala and Puducherry polls under IEVP 2026
The Election Commission's International Election Visitors' Programme (IEVP) 2026 brought 38 delegates from 22 countries to watch the 9 April polls in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry during a two-day visit on 8–9 April.
Summary
The International Election Visitors' Programme (IEVP) 2026 of the Election Commission of India brought 38 delegates from 22 countries to observe the Assam, Kerala and Puducherry Assembly polls during a two-day visit on 8–9 April 2026. They saw dispatch and distribution centres, met Chief Electoral Officers and State Police Nodal Officers, visited CCTV control rooms monitoring 100% webcasting, watched mock polls, and visited polling stations in Kamrup Metro and Kamrup Rural (Assam), Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), and Puducherry. In Puducherry they saw a welcoming robot named Nila, and in Kerala a Gen Z–themed polling booth. ECI describes the IEVP as its flagship initiative for engagement with Election Management Bodies and international organisations. Delegates from countries including Croatia, Mexico, Kenya, Namibia and Sierra Leone praised the scale and inclusiveness of the polls.
Key facts
- Programme
- International Election Visitors' Programme (IEVP) 2026, ECI
- Delegates
- 38 from 22 countries
- Visit
- 8–9 April 2026: Assam, Kerala, Puducherry
- Places
- Kamrup Metro and Kamrup Rural; Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram; Puducherry
- Highlights
- Robot 'Nila' (Puducherry); Gen Z–themed booth (Kerala)
Practice MCQs 3 questions
Under ECI's International Election Visitors' Programme (IEVP) 2026, how many delegates from how many countries observed the 9 April 2026 polls?
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Correct answer: B — 38 delegates from 22 countries
ECI said 38 delegates from 22 countries witnessed the poll proceedings in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry under IEVP 2026.
IEVP 2026 delegates saw a welcoming robot named 'Nila' at polling arrangements in which State/UT?
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Correct answer: D — Puducherry
ECI said delegates in Puducherry were impressed by vigilance measures and innovations such as the welcoming robot Nila.
Consider the following statements about IEVP 2026: 1. The delegates' two-day visit covered Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. 2. ECI describes the IEVP as its flagship initiative for engagement with Election Management Bodies and international organisations. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
Statement 1 is wrong: the 8–9 April visit covered Assam, Kerala and Puducherry. Statement 2 is correct as per ECI's description of the programme.