India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM-2026)

Current Context: The inaugural India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM-2026) was held from January 21–23, 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, organized by IIIDEM under the ECI.

• With the theme “Democracy for an inclusive, peaceful, resilient and sustainable world”, it marked India’s leadership as Chair of International IDEA 2026.
• Nearly 100 international delegates from 70+ countries, including heads of 42 Election Management Bodies, participated.
• The conference concluded with the Delhi Declaration 2026, resolving cooperation on five pillars: electoral rolls, free & fair elections, technology, research/publications, and training.
• On Day 2, the Election Commission of India (ECI) formally launched ECINet (Election Commission of India Network), a global digital platform for sharing election-related information and best practices.
• Over 40 bilateral meetings were held by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar with global counterparts.
• The opening day also featured the screening of the docuseries “India Decides”, showcasing the scale of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Question:

Q.1 Where did the first edition of the India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM-2026) take place?
a) Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
b) Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi
c) India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
d) Constitution Club, New Delhi

Answer: b) The inaugural IICDEM-2026 was hosted at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, organized by IIIDEM under the ECI.