Supreme Court Mandates EVM Integrity Certification

The Supreme Court has endorsed a proposal from the Election Commission of India, tasking Bharat Electronics Ltd and Electronic Corp of India Limited with examining and certifying the integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). This initiative follows concerns over potential tampering with the devices' 'burnt memory' and software components.

A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta heard pleas emphasizing the need for compliance with a court judgment regarding EVM verifications. The Association for Democratic Reforms has challenged the verification protocols, arguing that the Election Commission's standard operating procedure was not in line with previous court directives.

The court's directive comes in response to demands for enhanced EVM verification measures, rejecting calls to revert to paper ballots while allowing a window for unsuccessful candidates to request checks on micro-controller chips. This step aims to maintain EVM transparency and integrity, safeguarding the election process against claims of tampering.

(With inputs from agencies.)