Democracy comes alive when young minds understand their rights, responsibilities, and the power of their vote. As part of the Deeksharambh 2026 initiatives, the Electoral Literacy Club (ELC), Uttaranchal School of Computing Sciences (USCS), Uttaranchal University organized a Voting Pledge and Debate Competition on 18 August 2026, aimed at fostering electoral awareness, responsible citizenship, critical thinking, and active participation in the democratic process.
The programme commenced with a Voting Pledge, conducted in individual classes by the respective faculty members, where students enthusiastically reaffirmed their commitment to responsible voting, democratic values, and informed participation in elections. Adding an engaging dimension to the initiative, a Debate Competition was also organized, with 13 students participating in thought-provoking discussions on two contemporary electoral topics: “Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) vs Ballot Box” and “Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls: Strengthening Electoral Integrity vs Creating Barriers to Voter Participation.”
The participants demonstrated confidence, logical reasoning, electoral awareness, and effective communication while presenting their arguments and counterarguments. The debate was judged by Mr. Sanjay Mishra and Dr. Ruchika Attri, in the presence of Prof. (Dr.) Sameer Dev Sharma, HoD, USCS. Ankit (BCA), Abhinay Mehra (MCA), and Utkarsh Gupta (BCA) were declared the Best Debaters and felicitated with prizes. The entire programme was organized by Mr. Yogesh Juyal, with the valuable support of Ms. Manisha Saini. The event provided students with a meaningful platform to engage with important democratic issues, strengthening critical thinking, informed citizenship, and democratic awareness as part of their Deeksharambh journey.
