How does one ensure high voter turnout? Leaders urge voters to come out and exercise their right to franchise, while the Election Commission leaves no stone unturned to reach the remotest places of India so electorates from those regions do not miss out on voting.
But in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow constituency, a school is taking a different course to make sure parents of students enrolled in its institution cast their votes.
Lucknow will go to polls on May 20, the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
What is the school doing?
Lucknow’s St Joseph’s College has made an offer to parents that will be hard to refuse. Students whose parents step out to vote will get an extra 10 marks. Not only this, the staff working in the school will get an extra day’s salary for getting their fingers inked.
The managing director of St Joseph’s group of institutions, Anil Agarwal said, “The 10 extra marks could be in a single subject, or divided into different subjects. We have taken the decision to increase voting percentage in Lucknow Lok Sabha polls.”
To avail this offer, parents would be required to visit the school and show their inked fingers as proof.
According to a report by Times of India, other schools in Uttar Pradesh have also introduced similar incentive plans for voters.
Tax rebates, free meals and more
Elections in India are a grand affair and so offering lucrative incentives to voters is not a new concept.
In this year’s elections, from Bengaluru to Indore have made impressive efforts to attack voters.
In Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, a polling booth provided free breakfast and ice cream to voters who came to exercise their franchise.
Meanwhile, in Karnataka’s Bengaluru, various restaurants and businesses offered free dosa and coffee to voters.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has asked the EC to consider giving tax rebates or similar incentives to housing societies that record 100 per cent voter turnout in South Mumbai which will also go to polls on May 20.
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