About India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026:
- The 3-day conference, starting on the 21st of January, will be held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
- It is being organised by the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) under the aegis of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
- IICDEM 2026 is poised to be the largest global conference of its kind hosted by India in the field of democracy and election management.
- Nearly 100 international delegates, representing over 70 countries from across the world, are expected to participate.
- Representatives of international organisations, foreign missions in India, and academic and practicing experts in the electoral domain will also take part.
- The programme will feature a mix of general and plenary sessions of Election Management Bodies (EMBs).
- 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.
- During the event, the ECI will also formally launch ECINET, ECI’s one-stop digital platform for all 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.
Key Facts about India International Institute of Democracy & Election Management (IIIDEM):
- IIIDEM is the dedicated training, academic & resource arm of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
- Established in 2011, the Institute was conceived to train, prepare, and equip election officials and other stakeholders for delivery of free, fair, credible, and error-free elections.
- It is a global knowledge and capacity-building centre dedicated to advancing democratic governance and strengthening electoral integrity.
- IIIDEM is one of the few institutions in the world which is not only involved in the training and capacity building of its electoral officials, but also caters to the requirements of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) the world over.
- IIIDEM has a team of senior experts and professionals to run its academic and research programmes.
- It holds domestic and international courses and training programmes that are residential and non-residential.
- Earlier, the IIIDEM was housed in the premises of the ECI. Now, the Institute is functioning from a full-fledged campus at Dwarka (Delhi).
