East Champaran: East Champaran district in Bihar has once again made the state proud by winning the Best Election District Award at the national level. The award was presented by the President of India, Draupadi Murmu, on the occasion of National Voters’ Day at a ceremony held in New Delhi. This honour was given for the district’s excellent performance in conducting the Bihar Assembly General Elections 2025. It is the second year in a row that East Champaran has received this prestigious recognition from the Election Commission of India.
The award was received by District Collector Saurabh Jorwal, who represented the people and administration of East Champaran. Speaking after receiving the honour, he said that this success was the result of teamwork. According to him, every officer, election worker, security staff member and voter played an important role. He also thanked the people of the district for participating actively and peacefully in the elections. The award has brought happiness not just to the district but to the whole of Bihar.
One of the main reasons for this success was the use of modern technology in election management. During the 2025 elections, East Champaran introduced a GPS-based system to deploy central security forces. This helped officials decide where to send security teams quickly and accurately. In earlier elections, this planning took several days, but with this new system it was done in just a few minutes. This ensured better safety and smoother movement of forces during voting.
Many other digital tools were also used to make the election process easier and more transparent. QR-code navigation, interactive booth maps, pre-printed voter registers, and real-time monitoring dashboards allowed officials to track everything as it happened. Mobile apps and websites made it possible to watch the election process live. These efforts made voting easier for people and helped election workers solve problems quickly.
All these steps led to a record rise in voter turnout. In 2020, about 60.28% of voters took part in the election, but in 2025 this number rose to 71.55%. Even more impressive was the fact that there were no incidents of violence during the entire election period. This showed that people felt safe, informed and confident about taking part in the democratic process.
The district also ran strong voter awareness campaigns under the SWEEP programme. Special events were held in schools, colleges and villages to encourage people to vote and to explain their rights. Officials also made sure that the voter list was updated correctly so that every eligible citizen could vote. Because of this, participation was high and mistakes were very few.
The Election Commission of India called East Champaran’s efforts a model for the entire country. The President also praised such districts for their role in strengthening Indian democracy. With this award, East Champaran has shown that even a district with a long history can move forward using technology and teamwork to run peaceful, fair and successful elections.
