India has 2.49 lakh voters aged above 100: CEC Rajiv Kumar
Pune (PTI): There are 2.49 lakh voters aged above 100 in India, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Wednesday.
Besides, 1.80 crore voters are over 80 years of age, Kumar said after flagging off a bicycle rally in Maharashtra's Pune city on Wednesday to create an awareness about voter registration as part of the national level launch of a special summary revision of the voters' list.
The Election Commission of India's initiative is aimed at increasing the electoral rolls in urban areas.
Explaining the robustness and beauty of the Indian electoral rolls, Kumar said the country has voters from the highest peaks of Himalayas, from the 6,000-km coastline in south, deserts in the west and regions from the east.
"You will be happy to know we have close to 2.49 lakh voters in our rolls who are (aged) 100 plus and what a relief and ecstasy it gives when you interact with them and find that they have been voting all through their lives," he said.
Besides, there are 1.80 crore voters who are above 80 years of age, he told reporters after the rally.
The CEC said India's first voter Shyam Saran Negi, who recently died, was 106 years old and voted through postal ballot just three days before his death. "That is the spirit," he added.
Kumar said the summary revision takes place every year, but this year they are doing a very focused activity and starting it all over the country from Pune with a specific purpose to increase the participation of citizens from urban areas.
"What does it mean? Everywhere in the country and the farthest possible states, be it hills, coastal lines, everywhere, inaccessible terrains, deserts, everywhere every single citizen gets enlisted as a voter and strengthens the democracy by not only getting registered but also casting his/her vote," the CEC said.
Kumar said they want to request all voters in the urban areas, all the youth to come participate, get registered and vote.
"It is only through your voting that the democratic traditions become absolutely robust and strong," the CEC said.
"Some of the cities, I am not naming them, do not really do that kind of voting and there is a whole lot of ground which we have to cover in urban areas, that is why this rally was organised to create awareness," he said.
Kumar flagged off the bicycle rally at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune's Balewadi area.
He later told reporters that there are some advanced, big metro cities where apathy is seen among the urban voters, but it is expected that these cities should also participate in voting whole-heartedly and help strengthen the democracy.
"The same applies to the youth also. If they can put forth their views on WhatsApp, they can very well put forth their opinion on casting votes," he said.
Kumar said Pune has been chosen for the national launch of the special summary revision of the voters' list as it is the "city of knowledge" and the message gets spread faster from here.
When pointed out that Pune had recorded a low voting percentage, the CEC said, "Yes, there is little apathy."
Notably, in the 2019 general elections, the overall voting percentage for the Pune Lok Sabha constituency was 49.84 per cent.
Kumar said on the day of voting, a holiday is declared as per the Negotiable Instruments Act and some people think "let's enjoy the holiday instead of going and casting vote", but they should go and vote as holidays are always there.
Kumar said the importance of special summary revision is that if anyone is left and not included as a voter, he or she will be included through this initiative.
"Also, young voters who are turning 18 on qualifying dates have a chance to get enrolled," he added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
India, Jamaica agree to boost trade, skilled mobility: Jaishankar
Kingston (PTI): India and Jamaica agreed to further strengthen trade linkages and explore cooperation for recruitment and mobility of skilled professionals, including healthcare workers and teachers, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.
Addressing a joint press conference here after talks with his Jamaican counterpart Kamina J Smith on Monday, Jaishankar said the discussions were comprehensive, and they reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties, identifying new avenues to deepen the partnership.
"We signed several important agreements and discussed effective implementations of MOUs which have been recently concluded in the fields of digital transformation, cultural exchange, sports and digital payments to ensure tangible outcomes on the ground," he said.
India recognised Jamaica's growing role as a logistics hub and gateway to the Caribbean for trade and investment, Jaishankar said.
ALSO READ: Actor Santhosh Nair killed in road accident in Pathanamthitta
"We agreed to further strengthen trade, business and investment linkages, explore cooperation for recruitment and mobility of skilled professionals, including nurses, healthcare workers and teachers," he said.
The two sides also discussed expanding cooperation in defence and security, healthcare, digitisation, agriculture, education and infrastructure, the minister said.
Highlighting development cooperation as a key pillar of ties, Jaishankar noted the successful completion of the Improving Rural Livelihoods Project in Kitson Town in March 2026, implemented with Indian assistance of USD 1 million under the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, benefiting over 200 individuals and impacting thousands more.
He said India is also discussing the feasibility of establishing an artisan empowerment hub in Jamaica and reiterated support for the country's recovery following Hurricane Melissa.
As part of humanitarian assistance, India has supplied relief material, deployed a medical team and is in the process of providing 30 dialysis units. It is also sending 40 fishing boats and 200 GPS units to aid recovery efforts.
The ministers reaffirmed close cooperation in multilateral fora and discussed issues such as reformed multilateralism, climate justice and priorities of the Global South.
India appreciated Jamaica’s support for its candidature for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2028-29.
Both sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and called for early finalisation of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
Jaishankar also highlighted growing people-to-people ties, noting the popularity of yoga and Ayurveda in Jamaica and the contribution of the Indian diaspora to the country’s development.
He announced a contribution of two million Jamaican dollars towards celebrations marking 181 years of the arrival of Indians in Jamaica on India Heritage Day.
According to the website of the High Commission of India in Kingston, Jamaica has an Indian diaspora of around 70,000 people whose forefathers came mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as indentured labour between 1845 and 1917. Some also came from South India.
The diaspora constitutes around 3 per cent of Jamaica's population and continues to nurture an abiding interest in Indian culture, music, dance and history, serving as a cultural bridge between the two countries. May 10 is observed as India Heritage Day in Jamaica.
Later in the day, Jaishankar interacted with Jamaica’s industry and business leaders, underlining the need to deepen economic engagement as countries diversify partnerships globally.
“Emphasised that as we all diversify and seek reliable partners, the imperative to deepen India-Jamaica business ties is that much stronger,” he said in a social media post, noting that the potential for bilateral and regional economic cooperation should be "explored more vigorously".
He also appreciated Industry Minister Aubyn Hill for convening the interaction with business leaders.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
