CEO terms VVPAT, EVM as foolproof

•    Rajat Kumar hails them for accuracy and transparency 
•    TS setting benchmarks relating to conduct of elections

Hyderabad:  The advent of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and now the Voter Verifiable Paper Trail (VVPAT) has revolutionised India’s election process, observed Chief Electoral Officer Dr Rajat Kumar.

He said the technical features of EVM, which uses 3M technology, are remarkable and its accuracy and objectivity is such that it has scored a cent per cent victory over its validity. 

The wonder machine has won a record number of 37 judicial cases in High Courts and the Supreme Court. 

“The country had started elections in 1952 with paper ballot but now, we use software-loaded, robust and tamper-proof EVMs. The EVM is able to withstand an upswing in contestations”, he said,    
       
Delivering the keynote address at a workshop on “Election Coverage,” conducted by the Regional News Unit of All India Radio, Hyderabad, for its district correspondents at AIR establishment here on Tuesday, the CEO called upon them not to join the rat race of other media and instead maintain the AIR credibility by providing authentic information, and help people take right decisions.

Rajat Kumar said Telangana State was setting benchmarks on many fronts relating to conduct of elections. The volume of information that was being generated during elections was so huge that a systemic dissemination of the same had become a challenge. 

He advised public broadcasters – AIR and Doordarshan – to play a greater role in dissemination of accurate and authentic information relating to elections.

Dr Rajat Kumar also appealed to journalists in general and AIR correspondents in particular to speak as representatives of democracy by providing right news: “Do not sensationalise news and lose your credibility and instead, be impartial, give factual figures and write special interest stories on elections”.

Speaking about “Accessible Elections”, the present thrust area of the Election Commission, he listed out various initiatives taken to ensure participation by persons with disabilities in the democratic process.

TVK Reddy, the Additional Director-General, Press Information Bureau, Hyderabad, Allam Narayana, the Chairman of Telangana Media Academy, Akash Lakshman, the Additional Director-General of News Services Division, New Delhi,  and Suprashanti Devi, the Head of Regional News Unit, AIR, Hyderabad, spoke. Correspondents of AIR from all over Telangana, officials and AIR staff attended.