Expert Committee Report on EVM

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E L E C T IO N C O M M IS S IO N O F IN D IA

N irvachan S adan, A shoka R oad, N ew D elhi-l 10 001.

N o 4 /R T I/8 9 /2 0 0 7 /J S -II

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D a te d :

4 th J u n e 2 0 0 7 .

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i H a rik u m a r P ,

P a lla th a d k a ,

K asaragod,

K erala- 671551

S u b je c t:-

R ig h t to In fo rm a tio n A c t, 2 0 0 5 -re g a rd in g .

S ir,

W ith re fe re n c e to y o u r a p p lic a tio n

d a te d 2 7 .2 .2 0 0 7 a n d s u b s e q u e n t le tte r d a te d

2 8 .0 5 .2 0 0 7 o n th e s u b je c t c ite d , I a m to fo rw a rd h e re w ith c e rtifie d c o p y o f th e T e s t re p o rt

o f S h ri P .V . In d ire s o n C o m m itte e re g a rd in g th e E le c tro n ic V o tin g M a c h in e s , c o m ~

4 2 p a g e s w h ic h w e re in a d v e rte n tly m e n tio n e d a s 4 3 p a g e s in C o m m is s io n 's

e a rlie re a te d

0 5 .0 4 .2 0 0 7

Y o u rs fa ith fu lly ,

E n c l.-

42 pages.

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(S .R .K A R )

UNDER SECRETARY &

P U B L IC IN F O R M A n O N

O F F IC E R

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R E P O R T

O F

TH E

E X P E R T

C O M M IT T E E

FO R

E V A L U A T IO N

OF THE

U P G R A D E D

E L E C T R O N IC

V O T IN G

M A C H IN E

A c k n o w le d t!e m e n t

T he

E V M s , in tro d u c e d

i n

1 9 9 0 h a v e p ro v id e d

e x c e lle n t

s e rv ic e

i n

a s s is tin g

th e

v o tin g

p ro c e s s

i n

India. These

m a c h in e s

are now

n e a rin g

th e

e n d o f th e ir life , a n d

n e e d

t o

b e

re p la c e d . T h e tw o

P S U

c o m p a n ie s B E L

a n d

E C IL

w h ic h h a v e b e e n m a n u fa c tu rin g

th e s e

E V M s h a v e d e v e lo p e d n e w

d e s ig n s in c o rp o ra tin g s o m e a d d itio n a l fe a tu re s a s d e s ire d b y th e

C om m ission.

T h is

co m m ittee

w as

c o n s titu te d

b y

th e

C o m m issio n

v id e

th e ir

re fe re n c e :

5 1 /8 /1 6 /2 0 0 4 P L N -IV N o l

1 1 1 / 8 0 4 - 8 0 6d a t e d 2 9 / 1 2 / 2 0 0 5 t o e v a l u a t e t h e s e u p g r a d e d E V M ' s .

T h e C o m m itte e

m et in N ew

D e lh i in J a n u a ry 2 0 0 6

at lIT

D e lh i, w h e re re p re s e n ta tiv e s o f

B E L

a n d

E C IL

d e m o n s tra te d

th e ir

m a c h in e s

a n d

p re s e n te d

th e

s a lie n t fe a tu re s

o f th e ir

re s p e c tiv e

d e s ig n s ,

in c lu d in g

th e

s te p s

ta k e n

t o

in c o rp o ra te

th e

a d d itio n a l

fe a tu re s

a s

m a n d a te d

b y

th e

C om m ission.

T h is

C o m m itte e

s u g g e s te d

som e

a d d itio n a l

te c h n ic a l

e v a lu a tio n s u c h a s o n E M I/E M C

s ta n d a rd s to b e p e rfo rm e d o n th e m a c h in e s . S u b s e q u e n tly in

J a n u a ry

2 0 0 6 , th e C o m m itte e

tra v e le d to B a n g a lo re

(BEL) and to Hyderabad

(E C IL ) a n d

c o n d u c te d in d e p th e v a lu a tio n o f th e m a c h in e s a n d h e ld te c h n ic a l d is c u s s io n s w ith th e e n tire d e v e lo p m e n t te a m s o f B E L a n d E C IL . A d d itio n a l e s s e n tia l e n h a n c e m e n ts to th e d e s ig n o f th e E V M s a n d th e ir u tility a n d

feasib ility w ere also d iscu ssed in th is v isit.

T he

C o m m itte e

a ls o

s tu d ie d

th e

in p u ts th a t th e

C o m m issio n

a n d th e m a n u fa c tu re rs

h a v e

re c e iv e d

n o m

th e p u b lic o v e r th e y e a rs o n th e E V M s . T h e re s u lts o f th is s tu d y h a v e b e e n

in c o rp o ra te d in to th e re p o rt o f th e C o m m itte e .

It w ill b e in p la c e to a c k n o w le d g e th a t th e v e ry th o ro u g h e v a lu a tio n c o n d u c te d b y th e e x p e rt e v a lu a tio n c o m m itte e in 1 9 9 0 o n th e th e n E V M s w a s a ls o re -v is ite d th ro u g h th e ir re p o rt a n d , th e re c o m m e n d a tio n s