Handmade gifts, selfie points await voters at model booths in Noida, Greater Noida

Nearly 15 model polling booths are located in schools and colleges across Noida and Greater Noida, and educational institutions are resorting to creative ways to make polling day memorable and pleasant for voters.

According to Atul Kumar, additional district magistrate, of the 51 model polling booths in the district, 15 are in educational institutions.

“Eight schools in Noida assembly segment have been selected to have model polling booths, while two schools and one university in Dadri assembly segment will have model booths. In Jewar, four schools will have model booths. Arrangements are being made by the staff and management of the educational institutions to make voting day special,” said Kumar.

Officials of Sharda University in Knowledge Park-3, Greater Noida, said voters will be greeted and assisted by international students on the day of polling.

“As Indian students at the university will be visiting their homes to cast votes, university has selected 27 international students to offer assistance to voters at the model polling booths on the university campus. These students will greet voters with handmade welcome notes and guide first-time voters to their booths,” said Dr Ajit Kumar from Sharda University.

He said international students will also get to witness the ‘festival of democracy’ in India. “By being closely associated with the elections, the international students, who are mostly from central Asia, Africa and Europe, will get a first-hand experience of voting day in the biggest democracy in the world,” he said.

In Noida, Pathways School in Sector 100 will greet first-time voters with red roses and ‘I Voted’ badges.

“As the school turns into an election booth, our students are preparing to support the team that would be managing the electoral process. We are engaging students in making handmade “I Voted” badges for voters, and a “Proud Voter” selfie point is also being created by the staff and students, where voters can click pictures,” said Pathways School Director Aaron Jacob.

At the model polling booth at Vishwa Bharati Public School in Sector 28, Noida, special gifts await voters.

“We will be handing over special handmade gifts and welcome cards to senior citizens who make an effort to come and vote. The whole school will be decorated in tricolour balloons, and banners,” said Veera Pandey, principal of the school.

She added that in order to increase voter awareness, students have been asked to urge their parents to vote.