IEVP 2026: World watches India’s Festival of Democracy

• International Election Visitors' Programme (IEVP) is the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s flagship outreach for foreign Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and international organisations to observe Indian elections firsthand.
• 2026 edition coincided with Legislative Assembly elections in 5 States/UTs — Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal.
• Significance for UPSC: links GS-II (constitutional bodies, soft power, electoral reforms) with India's projection of itself as the "Mother of Democracy."