Featured

ECI Revises Protocol To Handle EVM Units After Supreme Court Order; What’s The Change?

By
OB Bureau

New Delhi: Following Supreme Court’s order, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has been forced to tweak the protocol for handling and storage of symbol loading units (SLU) of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

The apex court last week rejected petitions seeking 100 per cent verification of votes cast on EVMs using the VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail).

Giving a thumbs up to EVMs, the Supreme Court directed that the SLUs should be sealed and secured in a container, and stored in a strongroom along with EVMs for at least 45 days after declaration of results.

ECI said in a statement that all state chief electoral officers have been directed to create necessary infrastructure and provisions to implement the new protocols for handling and storage of SLUs.

“As mandated by the Supreme Court, the revised protocols are applicable in all cases of completion of the symbol loading process in the VVPATs undertaken on or after May 1, 2024,” the poll commission said.

Earlier, SLUs were handed over to local election officials.

An EVM has three components – ballot unit, control unit and VVPAT. The function of an SLU is to upload the name and symbol of candidates contesting on a particular seat on VVPAT.

Supreme Court’s other direction was that the burnt memory in EVM microcontroller must be checked by a team of engineers — after results are declared — if candidates make such a request.

Such a request can be made by candidates placed second and third in the election, and must be made within seven days of declaration of results, the court said.

Two of the seven phases of polling have been completed so far, with 102 constituencies voting in the first phase on April 19 and electors in 89 seats casting their votes on April 26.

The next phase is scheduled on May 7. The seventh and last phase is on June 1, while votes will be counted on June 4.

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

Another Stone Falls From Jagannath Temple At Khallikote In Odisha’s Ganjam

Berhampur: A stone weighing 2 kg fell from the ‘Singhadwara Gumuta’ of the Lord Jagannath…

November 14, 2024

Sunita Williams Dismisses Rumours About Weight Loss, Explains Her ‘Sunken Cheeks’

New Delhi: Recent pictures of Space Station Commander Sunita Williams from the International Space Station…

November 14, 2024

Payal Rohatgi Calls Out Rupali Ganguly For Dating A Married Man

Mumbai: Actress Rupali Ganguly recently filed a Rs 50 crore defamation case against her stepdaughter…

November 14, 2024

National Hockey: Odisha To Clash With Manipur In Semifinals

Chennai: Odisha will face Manipur in the semifinals of the 14th Hockey India Senior Men’s…

November 14, 2024

India To Push Canada For Extradition Of Arrested Khalistani Terrorist Arsh Dalla

New Delhi: India will again ask Canada for the extradition of designated Khalistani terrorist Arshdeep Singh…

November 14, 2024

School Dropout From West Bengal Arrested For Practising As Ayurvedic Doctor In Odisha’s Berhampur

Berhampur: Police have arrested a man from West Bengal for allegedly claiming himself to be…

November 14, 2024

Manoj Bajpayee Recalls Staying In ‘Hell’, Experiencing Starvation

Mumbai: Carving a niche for himself in Bollywood was not a cakewalk for ‘The Family…

November 14, 2024

After Disapproving Of Ranveer, Mukesh Khanna Rejects Tiger Shroff For ‘Shakitmaan’

Mumbai: Mukesh Khanna’s Indian superhero series ‘Shaktimaan’ has been making headlines for quite some time…

November 14, 2024