TUESDAY, MAY 07, 2024
Team Herald
The Supreme Court on Friday, dismissed petitions advocating for 100% verification of votes cast on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with paper slips generated through the VVPAT method. The two-judge panel, comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta, delivered a unanimous decision.
Justice Datta, emphasizing the importance of balanced perspective, remarked, "While meaningful criticism is crucial, blind scepticism can undermine trust in our democratic institutions." He stressed the need for fostering trust and collaboration among all pillars of democracy.
The Court, after initially reserving its judgment on April 18 following two days of hearings, revisited the matter on April 24 to delve into the intricacies of EVM functioning, particularly in conjunction with the ECI.
However, the Supreme Court issued two directives to the Election Commission (EC) following its decision. Firstly, it mandated the sealing and storage of the Symbol Loading Unit (SLU) for a minimum of 45 days after the completion of the symbol loading process. Secondly, it granted candidates the option to request a team of engineers to examine the microcontroller program of EVMs within seven days of result declaration.
During the hearings, the bench posed technical inquiries regarding EVM functionality, including the reprogrammability of microcontrollers. The ECI assured the Court that EVMs were tamper-proof and that conducting a comprehensive count of VVPAT slips was not practically feasible.
