The Supreme Courtroom has reserved the decision within the VVPAT case
New Delhi:
The Supreme Courtroom as we speak stated it’s not the controlling authority for elections and can’t dictate the functioning of Election Fee, a constitutional authority. The remarks got here in the course of the listening to on petitions in search of thorough cross-verification of votes solid on Digital Voting Machines (EVM) with paper slips generated by means of the VVPAT system. The courtroom has reserved the judgment for now.
The bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta questioned if it could act on mere suspicion.
Responding to considerations raised by Advocate Prashant Bhushan, showing for petitioner Affiliation for Democratic Reforms, the courtroom stated, ”In case you are predisposed a few thought-process, then we can not aid you… we aren’t right here to vary your thought course of.”
Amid the Opposition’s apprehensions relating to the EVM voting system, the petitions search a path to cross-verify each vote solid on EVMs with the paper slips generated by the VVPAT system. Presently, this cross-verification is completed for 5 randomly chosen EVMs in each Meeting constituency.
Within the earlier hearings, the petitioners raised the problem of public belief and drew comparisons with European nations which have gone again to the poll voting system. The courtroom shot down such comparisons, observing that the challenges listed below are totally different. The Election Fee, on its half, pressured that the present system is foolproof.
An EVM has a management unit and a balloting unit. These are linked by a cable. These are additionally linked with a VVPAT — Voter Verified Paper Audit Path — machine. This machine permits a voter to see if the vote was solid correctly and went to the candidate he/she helps.
As proceedings started this morning, the courtroom sought some clarifications from the ballot physique about microcontrollers within the system and if they are often re-programmed.
The Election Fee responded that every one three items have their very own microcontrollers and these might be programmed solely as soon as. Mr Bhushan contended that these microcontrollers have a flash reminiscence that’s re-programmable. ”To say that it’s not re-programmable is wrong,” he stated.
The courtroom stated it has to belief the ballot physique’s technical report. ”They’re saying quantum of flash reminiscence could be very low. They will retailer 1024 symbols, not software program. They are saying that so far as microcontrollers within the CU (management unit) is anxious, it’s agnostic. It doesn’t recognise the occasion or image, it is aware of the buttons,” Justice Khanna stated.
When Mr Bhushan questioned whether it is potential to load a bug within the flash reminiscence, the courtroom remarked, ”Can we subject a mandamus on the idea of a suspicion? We’re not the controlling authority of one other constitutional authority, we can not management the elections.”