‘No data, yet ECI, judiciary expect people to trust EVMs’

The electronic voting machine has been a perennial point of discussion for the losing candidate and its parties Often doubts have been raised about its effective functioning Venkatesh Nayak Director Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative New Delhi recently filed an RTI to EVM manufacturersHe has asked Bharat Electronics Limited BEL and Electronic Corporation of India Limited ECIL for the names and contact details of the manufacturerssuppliers of various components of the EVMs and VVPATs that will be used in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and State Assembly electionsVenkatesh is one of the intervenors in the Supreme Court case midday reached Nayak here are excerpts from the conversationWhat prompted you to file an RTI on the EVM issueSince reaching voting age Ive participated in Lok Sabha Vidhan Sabha and urban local body elections experiencing both paper and machinebased voting systems Initially I was supportive of machines for their perceived efficiency however my perspective has shifted after discovering inadequacies in the information provided by the Election Commission of India ECI regarding electronic voting machines EVMs Despite lacking comprehensive data the ECI and judiciary expect us to trust these machines implicitly I believe voters not political parties are the primary stakeholders in elections Thus I filed an RTI to obtain crucial information about EVMs that should be accessible to all votersECI admitted to replacing EVMs during the 2019 Lok Sabha electionsWe have had more than three elections since the EVM was introduced Are you doubting the outcome of EVMThe data obtained through RTI applications reported by a prominent media house reveals issues with EVMs They often become defective in storage even when nobody has touched them for months together ECI admitted to replacing thousands of machines during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections Unlike ballots theres no detailed validation procedure for EVM votes Lack of transparency raises concerns More transparency from ECI and manufacturers is necessary before full trust can be placed in EVMs and their systemsYou had filed identical questions to BEL and ECIL under RTI what was the replySince 2018 Ive submitted numerous RTIs to the two companies holding a statebacked duopoly on EVMs and VVPATs in India Theyve been reluctant to share information about these machines For instance Bharat Electronic Limited BEL initially demanded an extra fee of over R1500 for details only to later reject my request entirely Despite the designated officer knowing the information was accessible under RTI a higher authority at BEL intervened to block disclosure Recently when I requested the names of EVM component manufacturers and related purchase orders both companies dismissed the request without much considerationECIL and the BEL manufacture EVMs and VVPATs for EC File picsPTIAre you satisfied with the responseNo theyve cited an exemption clause to withhold information related to commercial confidence trade secrets or intellectual property that could harm a third partys competitive position Electronics Corporation of India Limited ECIL claims that revealing purchase orders could compromise machine designs despite assurances of foolproof security systems This shift prioritises commercial interests over electoral integrity where citizens have a significant stake Electing a government entails more than blind trust It demands concrete evidence of machine reliability While faith may guide spiritual matters solid evidence is essential for human affairsDid you challenge the RTI response with the appellate authorityNot yet because I still have some more time The limitation period for filing the first appeal is not exhausted and I am preparing my grounds for filing the appeals Challenging these refusals is a sacred duty for a citizen like me because these machines are manufactured for our utilisation primarily The money we pay in the form of taxes is used by the ECI to buy them The two companies which manufacture them are public sector enterprises ie the President as the first citizen is the majority shareholder on our behalf So we the citizens have the right to know and must struggle for the practical realisation of this rightVenkatesh Nayak Director Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative New DelhiThe Supreme Court has dismissed the petition on the EVM trust issue Your commentThe court has ruled on the EVMrelated petitions and I respect its decision as a lawabiding citizen However while I hold the court in high regard I must express my disagreement with its reasoning The judgment predominantly reflects the views of the ECI neglecting the arguments put forth by the petitioners including myself as an intervenor Despite providing evidence regarding the conflict of interest within the ECIrsquos Technical Expert Committee obtained through RTI and highlighting discrepancies in the patent granted to BEL for VVPAT machines these submissions were disregarded in the final judgement The effectiveness of the courts directives remains uncertain As a recent comment aptly noted technology won over democracy in this instanceDo you think people still have doubts about the EVM WhyMany are fully confident in voting machines as I was until 2018 Others refrain from questioning due to uncertainty Despite credible doubts about EVMs the Centre for the Study of Developing StudiesLokniti survey known for reliability was dismissed by the apex court Jokes and memes about EVM concerns have become part of popular culture Opposition parties lack resolve in addressing these doubts publicly despite past court interventions leading to improvements like VVPAT machines Its puzzling why they dont pursue the issue with evidence in courtIf not EVM what is the alternativeIve never proposed a return to paper ballots despite many in vocal support for it Any voting system whether electronic or analog must uphold democratic principles The Citizens Commission on Elections CCE submitted a comprehensive report to the ECI but theres been no response regarding the viability of their suggestions Scientists and computer experts have proposed alternatives to ensure electronic voting is verifiable These suggestions need serious consideration to ensure voters trust that their votes are accurately recorded and counted