Recognition may have bypassed him, but the mission continues unabated on the ground. Having played a key role in improving the voter gender ratio in the Shillai Assembly from 801 to 840 within just five months, SDM Jaspal has now embarked on a new challenge, raising the figure to 900 before the end of the monsoon.
For a segment with a population of nearly two lakh spread across difficult and remote terrain, increasing the voter gender ratio by 39 points in such a short period was no easy task. The voter gender ratio represents the number of women voters for every 1,000 male voters enrolled in the electoral rolls and is considered an important indicator of women’s participation in the democratic process.
The improvement was achieved through sustained field-level efforts involving election officials, anganwadi workers and booth level officers (BLOs), who worked extensively to identify eligible women left out of the electoral rolls and facilitate their registration.
Determined to carry the momentum forward, the SDM has launched a seven-day special enrolment campaign across the segment. Anganwadi workers and BLOs have been directed to identify every woman who has attained 18 years of age but whose name is yet to be included in the voter list. The campaign also focuses on preparing Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) and ensuring the enrolment of all eligible women voters.
The significance of the achievement was reflected when a five-member delegation of Himachal Pradesh election officials, led by Chief Electoral Officer and Principal Secretary (Elections) Nandita Gupta, was invited to Germany for a study tour aimed at understanding international best practices in electoral management, democratic governance and public administration. The programme included visits to Berlin, Frankfurt, Thuringia, Wiesbaden, Karlsruhe, Mainz and Heidelberg, along with interactions with German electoral authorities, state legislatures, academic institutions and policy think tanks.
However, despite being closely associated with the electoral initiative that delivered one of the state’s most notable improvements in voter gender ratio, SDM Jaspal was not part of the delegation after he reportedly failed to receive the required no objection certificate (NOC) from the state government.
Yet, rather than looking back at the missed opportunity, the officer remains focused on the task ahead. With the voter gender ratio now standing at 840, efforts have already shifted towards the next milestone of 900. As the special campaign gathers pace across Shillai, the message from the field is unmistakable, while study tours may come and go, the work of strengthening democratic participation continues at the grassroots.