Press Information Bureau

Posted On: 21 Oct 2024 12:32:22 AM

Pushpinder Kaur

Additional Director General

[Media & Communications]

Government of India

(Election Commission of India)

Government of India

Press Information Bureau

Shastri Bhawan

New Delhi

Dated: 21st October, 2024

CIRCULAR

Sub: On-line System for submission of Application for issuance of ECI’s “Authority Letter” to Media persons for coverage of General Elections to Legislative Assemblies of Jharkhand and Maharashtra, 2024 and Schedule for bye-election to 48 Assemblies Constituencies and 2 Parliamentary Constituencies of 15 States- reg.

Sir/Madam,

Applications are invited from interested Media persons for ECI’s “Authority Letter” for coverage of Polling and Counting during General Election to Legislative Assemblies of Jharkhand and Maharashtra, 2024 and Schedule for bye-election to 48 Assemblies Constituencies and 2 Parliamentary Constituencies of 15 States.

The polling will be held in two phases for the Legislative Assembly of Jharkhand on 13th, November and 20th November, 2024. Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polling will be held on 20th, November, 2024. Bye-election to 48 Assemblies Constituencies and 2 Parliamentary Constituencies of 15 States will be held on 13^th November and 20^th November, 2024. The counting of votes will take place on 23.11.2024 (Saturday).

FOR DELHI BASED PIB ACCREDITED CORRESPONDENTS & CAMERAPERSONS

Delhi-based PIB accredited correspondents/camerapersons are requested to fill up their form online by following steps:

Please visit website- https://accreditation.pib.gov.in/election/login.aspx
Log on by user ID and password you have created for PIB accreditation.
In case you forget your password or user ID then click the link given below the login box to recover these. Do not create new user ID or password in any case.
Application form with your full particulars will appear with your photo.
Select the “State” for which Authority letter is required for polling or counting or both
See the preview of your form. If it is not ok, make correction.
Click Submit Tab to finally submit the form.
A declaration form will appear, check “I Agree” Box and then press “Submit” Button
Finally, take a Print out of the Application form submitted on-line and after duly signing and getting endorsed from Editor/ Chief of Bureau submit the Application Form along with Three passport size Photographs, to the undersigned in the Room No. 109, Shastri Bhawan, Rajendra Prasad Road, New Delhi.

Delhi based Non-PIB Accredited Journalists, who are on the regular pay roll of the media organizations based in Delhi also requested to fill up their application Form online by following steps:

Please visit website- https://accreditation.pib.gov.in/election/login.aspx
If you have not registered yourself in PIB Accreditation System before then Select Link for given New User to Create User ID and Password else log on by User ID and password you have.
In “Create New User option” a Registration Form will appear, fill this form to create User ID and password.
Log on by user ID and password you have created for yourself.
General information form will appear, fill the form and press Save & Next button. In this form select city option is mandatory for all Non-PIB Accredited applicants.
Address form will appear, fill the form and press Save & Next button. In this form
Select “State” for which Authority letter are required for polling or counting or for both.
See the preview of your form if it is not ok make correction.
Click Submit Tab to finally submit the form.
A declaration form will appear, check “I Agree” Box and then press “Submit” Button.
The filling of the form need not be at one go. The save feature shall ensure that partially filled form is saved and may be edited later. But once you will press Submit button the form will be locked and it cannot be edited.
Finally, take a Print out of the Application form submitted on-line and after duly signing and getting endorsed from Editor/ Chief of Bureau submit the Application Form along with THREE passport size Photographs, to the undersigned in the Room No. 109, Shastri Bhawan, Rajendra Prasad Road, New Delhi.

The Authority Letters to Delhi based non-accredited media persons will be issued only after obtaining necessary security clearance. In view of this, the non-accredited journalists in this category may submit their applications online and deposit their online filed application forms immediately so that necessary security clearance is obtained well in time.

Please visit website- https://accreditation.pib.gov.in/election/login.aspx
If you have not registered yourself in PIB Accreditation System before then Select Link for given New User to Create User ID and Password else log on by User ID and password you have.
In “Create New User option” a Registration Form will appear, fill this form to create User ID and password.
Log on by user ID and password you have created for yourself.
General information form will appear, fill the form and press Save & Next button. In this form select city option is mandatory for all Non-PIB Accredited applicants.
Address form will appear, fill the form and press Save & Next button. In this form
Select “State” for which Authority letter are required for polling or counting or for both.
See the preview of your form if it is not ok make correction.
Click Submit Tab to finally submit the form.
A declaration form will appear, check “I Agree” Box and then press “Submit” Button.
The filling of the form need not be at one go. The save feature shall ensure that partially filled form is saved and may be edited later. But once you will press Submit button the form will be locked and it cannot be edited.
Finally, take a Print out of the Application form submitted on-line and after duly signing and getting endorsed from Editor/ Chief of Bureau submit the Application Form and route their Printed on-line application to the undersigned through Publicity Division of MEA along with Three passport size photographs, a photo copy of Passport and relevant pages of J-Visa showing its validity date etc.
For Non-Accredited Foreign Journalist based in Delhi/NCR, police verification is done before issuing the Authority Letters.

All application forms duly signed and endorsed by the Editor/ Chief of Bureau should reach the undersigned latest by 5.00 p.m on working days till 01.11.2024.

Important: (i) It is clarified to all concerned that authority letter to enter a “Counting Centre” is not an authority to enter a “Counting Hall”. Access to Counting Hall will be governed by instructions issued Vide Commission’s letter No. 491/CNTG/MCS/99 dated 21.09.1999.

(ii) For Restricted Areas for foreign national media persons, Authority Slips have to be accompanied by MHA Clearance. Mere possession of Authority letters from ECI doesn’t permit them to cover the elections in restricted areas.

Yours sincerely,

(Pushpinder Kaur)

All Editors/Chiefs of Bureau of both print and electronic media & News Agencies