Cabinet approves procurement of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit
Trail Units for use in the General Elections, 2019
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for procurement of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) Units for use in the General Elections, 2019 purchase
- To be purchased from M/s Bharat Electronics Ltd (Bangalore) and M/s Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (Hyderabad)
- The decision of the Government would enable the Election Commission of India to deploy VVPAT Units in all pooling booths in the General Elections, 2019
- This will act as an additional layer of transparency for the satisfaction of voters, allaying any apprehension in the minds of the voters as to the fidelity and integrity of the EVMs
- This would also result in compliance of the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide its Order dated 8thOctober, 2013
Background
- The idea of VVPAT (an additional layer of transparency) for the satisfaction of voters was suggested by the political parties in a meeting taken by the ECI on 4th October, 2010
- Introduction of the VVPAT was facilitated by amending the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 vide Notification dated 14th August, 2013
- VVPAT device functions like a printer to be attached to the ballot unit and kept inside the voting compartment. When the voter presses the button against the name of the candidate of his choice on the Ballot Unit, the VVPAT unit generates a paper slip, called Ballot Slip. This paper slip contains the name, serial number and symbol of the chosen candidate. The voter can see this slip through a screened window where it stays for seven seconds, and then it automatically gets cut and falls down into a sealed drop box. In this process, the slip will not go into the hands of the voter nor will others be able to see it
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