Synopsis
In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has instructed the ECI to refrain from erasing or reloading data while verifying Electronic Voting Machines. This directive aims to maintain the integrity of the electoral process, ensuring transparency and adherence to judicial guidelines.Key Takeaways
- The Supreme Court emphasized the need to preserve EVM data during verification.
- A fee reduction for verification was recommended by the court.
- The ECI's SOP for EVM verification was challenged by the ADR.
- Verification of EVMs must be conducted by engineers from the manufacturers.
- Further hearings are scheduled for March 2025.
New Delhi, Feb 11 (NationPress) The Supreme Court has instructed the Election Commission of India (ECI) not to delete or reload data during the verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
A Special Bench comprising CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta was addressing a petition from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) that requested the poll body to facilitate the examination of the burnt memory and symbol loading units.
The CJI Khanna-led Bench clarified that previous directives did not imply the deletion or reloading of voting data in the EVMs but were strictly for verification of election data.
“We didn't intend for a complex process that involves reloading. Do not erase the data, do not reload the data - all that's needed is for someone to verify,” it stated.
The Supreme Court further noted that the fee of Rs 40,000 set by the ECI for EVM verification is excessive and recommended a reduction.
In April 2024, the apex court mandated a verification of the burnt memory/microcontroller in 5 percent of EVMs for any signs of tampering, based on written requests from candidates who received the second and third highest votes in an election.
This verification process is to be carried out by engineers from EVM manufacturers, with candidates and their representatives allowed to be present.
The ADR's plea argued that the ECI's SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for EVM verification did not comply with an earlier ruling by the Supreme Court.
Following the ECI's assurance that no changes to EVM data would occur, the Supreme Court scheduled further hearings for the week commencing on March 3, 2025.
In the interim, the court instructed the ECI to submit a brief affidavit detailing the SOPs used for EVM verification.
On January 31, the CJI Khanna-led Bench ordered the ECI to retain the video recordings from polling stations for upcoming elections, as previously maintained, and granted additional time for the poll body to submit its affidavit in a case contesting the decision to raise the number of voters per polling station from 1,200 to 1,500.
