EVM Controversy: Election Commission and Supreme Court does something strange

ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES WITH VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER AUDIT TRAIL WILL BE READY FOR 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS: ELECTION COMMISSION, SUPREME COURT CLOSES CONTEMPT AGAINST ELECTION COMMISSION

By: Shriya Paruthi[1]

In the case Dr. Subramanian Swamy v. Election Commission of India[2] the writ petition was filled by the Rajendra Satyanarayan  under the Constitution of India and prayed for the issuance of a writ of mandamus, for directing the Union of India, the Chief Election Commissioner and the Technical Experts Committee to effect the necessary changes in the Electronic Voting Machines so as to allow the voters to verify their respective votes and to attach the printers to the electronic voting machine with a facility to print the running record of the votes for the purpose of verification by the voters in the process of voting and directions to frame guidelines and amend the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 accordingly.[3]

The Supreme Court held that it is necessary to set up electronic voting machine with system to have transparency in the voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) system and to restore the confidence of the voters. The court allowed the election commission of India to introduce it in general stages or geographical-wise and in a phased manner.

The election commission of India has told the Supreme Court that voter-verified paper audit trail machines would be available by September 2018 and electronic voting machines with voter-verified paper audit trail system should be available for development in the next general election to constitute the seventeenth Lok Sabha.

The Supreme Court also ordered the election commission of India that they had already placed orders with M/s Bharat Electronics limited, Bangalore and M/s Electronics Corporations of India limited, Hyderabad for the purchase of voter-verified paper audit trail.[4]

End Notes:

[1] BALLB, Energy Laws, 2^nd year, COLS, UPES.

[2] Writ Petition No. 406 of 2012.

[3] Dr. Subramanian Swamy v. Election Commission of India, Writ Petition No, 406 of 2012 https://www.scribd.com/document/174511390/Paper-Audit-Trail-Judgment#fullscreen&from_embed.

[4] Ashok KM, Electronic Voting Machines with Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail Will Be Ready For 2019 General Elections: Election Commission, Supreme Court Closes Contempt Against Election Commission, (26 April, 2017, 1:00pm) http://www.livelaw.in/evms-vvpat-will-ready-2019-general-elections-eci-tells-sc-read-order/.