EVMs Cannot Lie, Only Humans Can
THE WEEK India|April 07, 2024
I have no doubts about the credibility of the machines and I also consider it a matter of the nation's pride that this change was brought about and we improved our electoral system.
T.S. KRISHNAMURTHY, Soni Mishra
EVMs Cannot Lie, Only Humans Can

Although the electronic voting machines were first introduced at the national level for parliamentary elections in 2004, the steps for introducing such a device were taken several years before. We had the conventional ballot paper voting, which is in vogue in many countries even now. The Election Commission replaced the ballot paper system because of its inherent infirmities.

Broadly, EVMs prevent manipulations in the ballot paper system, including booth captures. They also eliminated invalid votes and helped save paper and time. EVMs are manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited and the Electronics Corporation of India Limited, both public sector undertakings, as against the experiment conducted in the US where the EVMs were manufactured by a private company. This is a very important difference.

When I took over as chief election commissioner in February 2004, the commission had to decide on using EVMs on the basis of the experience gained from the (initial) use of the machines in some Assembly elections and by-elections. The decision to implement the use of EVMs in about eight lakh polling stations was based on the report of an expert committee headed by DRDO technical expert S. Sampath. When the machines were tried in some Assembly polls and byelections, voters uniformly welcomed the change. This was, however, different from the response of some political parties, which questioned the credibility of the machines. It is significant to note that the Supreme Court had also cleared the use of EVMs after some petitions were filed challenging its use. The two political parties that had challenged the use of the machines came to power through the use of these very machines in the subsequent elections.

Esta historia es de la edición April 07, 2024 de THE WEEK India.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición April 07, 2024 de THE WEEK India.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE THE WEEK INDIAVer todo
Pressure Points
THE WEEK India

Pressure Points

Author and MP Shashi Tharoor and motivational speaker Gaur Gopal Das on how to find healing and meaning in today's world

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 10, 2024
War Over Wounded Earth
THE WEEK India

War Over Wounded Earth

For the BJP andthe Congress, the ravaged farmlands of Vidarbha represent a cxitieal battleground in their larger struggle to win Maharashtra

time-read
9 minutos  |
November 10, 2024
Say no to continual elections
THE WEEK India

Say no to continual elections

Following the recommendations of a high-level committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind to streamline the widely scattered schedule of national, state and local elections, the Union cabinet has reportedly approved two constitutional amendment bills for likely introduction in Parliament. Predictably, the return of the ‘one nation, one election’ issue to news has set off a flurry of objections by several opposition leaders.

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 10, 2024
Fabulously, fashionably funny
THE WEEK India

Fabulously, fashionably funny

The third season of the Karan Johar-produced Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives dropped on Netflix, but articles criticising the show appear in some news site or the other almost daily. If it is so bad, why keep writing about it? And if it is so bad, why would the superpowers at Netflix, who are harder to meet than the prime minister, commission the show season after season?

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 10, 2024
All in the family
THE WEEK India

All in the family

The Chitaras have been passing down the secret art of Mata Ni Pachedi through generations for more than 400 years now

time-read
6 minutos  |
November 10, 2024
Raise a toast to Vidya Balan
THE WEEK India

Raise a toast to Vidya Balan

Vidya Balan is a New Year baby. At 45, she is aglow in the most beautiful way, having won the hearts and admiration of countless fans across the world, who watched the supremely talented actor take a public tumble on stage at a high-profile promotional event recently, sharing the platform with no less a dancer than the eternally graceful Madhuri Dixit.

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 10, 2024
Death no bar
THE WEEK India

Death no bar

Being alive is not a legal requirement to be elected president of the United States

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 10, 2024
The Lotus POTUS
THE WEEK India

The Lotus POTUS

You should visit us one of these days— there is so much excitement in our USA! No, I don’t mean the famous USA—the Ulhasnagar Sindhi Association of Mumbai.

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 10, 2024
RAY OF HOPE
THE WEEK India

RAY OF HOPE

Actor and cancer survivor Lisa Ray talks to oncologist Dr Jame Abraham about inner strength and her surrogacy journey

time-read
5 minutos  |
November 10, 2024
LEVERAGE AI TO ENHANCE WORK
THE WEEK India

LEVERAGE AI TO ENHANCE WORK

AT THE WEEK Health Summit, Siddharth Bagga, head (retail, CPG and health care), Google Cloud, elaborated on the significant work that Google has been doing in health care through artificial intelligence (AI).

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 10, 2024