Latest news with #ElectoralPhotoIdentityCard
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
2.6 lakh similar EPIC numbers weeded out: Election Commission
Pune: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has resolved a nearly two-decade-old legacy issue involving similar Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers, weeding out approximately 2.6 lakh duplicate cards from the electoral database across the country. The exercise, which involved scrutinising records of over 99 crore electors across 10.5 lakh polling stations in all 4,123 assembly constituencies, has put to rest a problem that originated in 2005 due to the erroneous use of similar alphanumeric series by different electoral registration officers, an ECI official said. In an effort to refine electoral rolls and maintain accuracy, chief electoral officers of all 36 states and union territories, along with electoral registration officers, undertook an exhaustive search of the entire database to identify these anomalies. "With an average of approximately 1,000 electors per polling station, the number of similar EPIC numbers identified was minimal, averaging around one in every four polling stations," the EC official said, emphasising the limited scope of the issue despite its long-standing nature. The field-level verification process revealed that individuals holding these similar EPIC numbers were genuine electors residing in different assembly constituencies and different polling stations. Such electors have now been issued new EPIC cards with unique numbers, ensuring complete elimination of duplicates from the system. The issue dates back to 2005, when various states and UTs were independently using different alphanumeric series for each assembly constituency. It underwent a mandatory change in 2008 following the delimitation of constituencies. However, during the crucial transition period, some assembly constituencies inadvertently continued using either the old series or, due to typographical errors, adopted series allocated to other constituencies, creating the similarity in EPIC numbers. "This was a legacy issue that required systematic resolution," a senior ECI official said. Officials clarified that the existence of similar EPIC numbers never compromised electoral integrity or influenced any election outcome. Every voter's name remains registered in the electoral roll of the specific polling station where they are ordinary residents. "Possessing an EPIC with a similar number never enabled any individual to cast a vote at a different polling station. Therefore, the issue of similar EPIC numbers could not have influenced the outcome of any elections," the official said. Ahead of Bihar polls, upgraded VTR on the cards The ECI is set to launch a new technology-driven system to provide faster updates on voter turnout percentages during elections. The initiative aims to reduce delays associated with the earlier manual reporting process and ensure timely public communication, an EC official said on Tuesday. Currently, under Rule 49S of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, presiding officers must submit Form 17C with vote counts to polling agents at the close of polls — a legal requirement that remains unchanged. However, the update process for the Voter Turnout Reporting (VTR) app, which shares approximate turnout trends with the public, is being improved for quicker data availability. Under the new system, presiding officers will directly enter voter turnout data into the ECINET app every two hours on polling day. This data will be automatically aggregated at the constituency level and published bi-hourly, as before. The data will be entered immediately after polling ends, before the presiding officers leave the station, reducing delays and enabling near real-time updates on the app. The updated process also accommodates offline entry where mobile connectivity is poor, syncing data once network access resumes. This upgraded VTR App will be integrated into the ECINET system ahead of the Bihar elections. Previously, voter turnout data was manually collected by Sector Officers and passed through several layers, causing four- to five-hour delays or more.
News18
29-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
CEC Gyanesh Kumar Completes 100 Days: Here Are 21 Reforms Launched By Election Commission
Last Updated: These initiatives come at a time when the ECI has faced considerable scrutiny following various elections Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who took charge of the Election Commission of India on February 19, completed 100 days in office on Thursday. In recent weeks, the ECI, under his leadership, has introduced numerous reforms and changes to provide a smoother experience for both voters and political parties while also streamlining election management. In a statement, the commission said, 'A slew of purposeful, pragmatic and proactive measures has marked the first 100 days of the 26th Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's tenure. The vision for a reinvigorated ECI was charted out by the CEC in the presence of Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi during the Conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) held in March 2025." These initiatives come at a time when the ECI has faced considerable scrutiny following various elections. Voters first Several voter-centric initiatives have been launched, including guidelines for setting up additional polling booths in high-rises and residential colonies to reduce travel time for voters. The commission has also reduced the maximum number of voters per polling station from 1,500 to 1,200, minimising waiting times. Electoral roll updates will now incorporate death registration data directly from the Registrar General of India (RGI) database, subject to verification. This replaces the previous system where a family member had to file Form 7 for the deletion of a deceased voter's name. Voter information slips will be made more user-friendly, with prominent display of serial and part numbers. Furthermore, mobile phone deposit facilities will be provided outside polling stations, addressing a previous logistical challenge for voters. The commission has also replaced all duplicate Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers with unique identifiers. In total, 28 stakeholders, including electors, election officials, political parties, and candidates, have been identified within the electoral process. Reforms are being implemented with each of these stakeholders in mind. Training presentations based on the commission's acts, rules, and instructions are being developed for each stakeholder group. Engagement with political parties To enhance trust with political parties, the commission has introduced reforms to improve communication and address concerns. Over 4,700 all-party meetings have been conducted across India at the electoral registration officer (ERO), district election officer (DEO), and chief electoral officer (CEO) levels, involving more than 28,000 party representatives. CEOs oversee elections at the state level, DEOs at the district level, and EROs at the assembly constituency level. These decentralised meetings ensure that party workers at all levels remain informed throughout the electoral process. The commission is also meeting national and state party leaders. Of the six national parties, the CEC has met the presidents of five: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Communist Party of India (Marxist), and National People's Party (NPP). Further meetings are planned after the current by-elections. Canvassing distance norms have been relaxed, allowing candidates and parties to set up booths beyond 100 metres, compared to the previous 200-metre limit. Capacity-building programmes for booth-level agents have been conducted in Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. Internal changes and capacity building The commission has launched ECINET, a new integrated dashboard providing all services for all stakeholders at a single point, replacing over 40 apps and websites. A national conference of counsels representing the ECI and CEOs was organised to strengthen synergy and refine the legal framework. Standardised photo ID cards for booth-level officers (BLOs) have also been introduced. Training has been conducted for over 3,500 booth-level supervisors, with an additional 6,000 BLOs/BLO supervisors scheduled for training in the next 45 days across approximately 20 batches. Regular meetings between the ECI and CEOs of all 36 states/union territories are being held to improve coordination between their offices and various ECI divisions. First Published:
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Assembly bypolls in 5 constituencies to be held on June 19
The Election Commission of India has released the schedule for bypolls in five assembly constituencies across four states. According to the schedule, the bypolls will be held on June 19 and the votes will be counted four days later on June 23. The bypolls are being conducted to fill the vacancies in five assembly constituencies - Gujarat's Kadi and Visavadar, Kerala's Nilambur, Punjab's Ludhiana West, and West Bengal's Kaliganj. In Gujarat, the bypolls will held to fill the posts left vacant by Bharatiya Janata Party's MLA from Kadi Karsanbhai Punjabhai Solanki, who passed away in February this year and Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Visavadar, Bhayani Bhupendrabhai Gandubhai, who had resigned. In Kerala, the Nilambur assembly seats remained vacant after PV Anvar, an LDF-backed MLA, resigned in January this year. He was appointed convenor of the Kerala unit of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), according to ANI. Punjab's Ludhiana West assembly seat has been vacant since AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi died in January this year. In West Bengal's Kaliganj, the bypolls will be held to fill the assembly seat left vacant by Trinamool Congress MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed, who died in February. According to the schedule released by the Election Commission, the gazette notification for the bypolls will be issued on Monday, May 26. The last day of making nominations will be June 2 and the last day for the scrutiny of nominations will be June 3. The last day for the withdrawal of nominations has been decided June 5, which will be followed by voting on June 19 and counting on June 23. The entire process of election will be completed before June 25, according to the schedule. While going to cast votes, the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) shall be considered the main document of identification of a voter. However, any of the below mentioned identification documents can also be shown at the polling station: i. Aadhar Card, ii. MGNREGA Job Card, iii. Passbooks with photograph issued by Bank/Post Office, iv. Health Insurance Smart Card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour, v. Driving License, vi. PAN Card, vii. Smart Card issued by RGI under NPR, viii. Indian Passport, ix. Pension document with photograph, x. Service Identity Cards with photograph issued to employees by Central/State Govt./PSUs/Public Limited Companies, and xi. Official identity cards issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs. xii. Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card, M/o Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
EC resolves 20-yr-old issue of similar EPIC numbers
Raipur: In a significant move to refine electoral rolls and maintain their accuracy, the Election Commission of India (ECI) resolved a nearly two-decade-old legacy issue involving the erroneous issuance of similar Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers to genuine electors. This problem originated in 2005 due to the use of similar alphanumeric series by different Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). To address this long-pending matter, chief electoral officers (CEOs) of all 36 states/union territories and EROs of all 4,123 assembly constituencies across India undertook a comprehensive search of the entire electoral database , encompassing over 99 crore electors across 10.50 lakh polling stations. With an average of approx 1,000 electors per polling station, the number of similar EPIC numbers identified was minimal, averaging around one in every four polling stations, said a spokesperson of the Chief Electoral Office, Chhattisgarh. Field-level verification revealed that individuals holding these similar EPIC numbers were indeed genuine electors residing in different assembly constituencies and different polling stations. Subsequently, all such electors were issued new EPIC cards with unique numbers. The origin of this issue dates back to 2005 when various states/UTs were independently using different alphanumeric series for each assembly constituency. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Argentina: Nueva oportunidad de inversión en Miami Financiación Empresarial Más información Undo These series underwent a mandatory change in 2008 following the delimitation of constituencies. However, during this transition period, some assembly constituencies inadvertently continued using either the old series or, due to typographical errors, adopted series allocated to other constituencies, the spokesperson said. The ECI clarified that every voter's name is registered in the electoral roll of the specific polling station where they are an ordinary resident. Possessing an EPIC with a similar number never enabled any individual to cast a vote at a different polling station. Therefore, the issue of similar EPIC numbers could not have influenced the outcome of any elections.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Election Commission resolves 20-year-old issue of similar EPIC numbers
Election Commission of India RAIPUR: In a significant move to refine electoral rolls and maintain their accuracy, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has resolved a nearly two-decade-old legacy issue involving the erroneous issuance of similar Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers to genuine electors. This problem originated in 2005 due to the use of similar alphanumeric series by different Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). To address this long-pending matter, Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all 36 States/Union Territories and EROs of all 4,123 Assembly constituencies across India undertook a comprehensive search of the entire electoral database , encompassing over 99 crore electors across 10.50 lakh polling stations. With an average of approximately 1,000 electors per polling station, the number of similar EPIC numbers identified was minimal, averaging around one in every four polling stations, said Election Commission Office spokesperson from Chhattisgarh. Field-level verification revealed that individuals holding these similar EPIC numbers were indeed genuine electors residing in different Assembly constituencies and different polling stations. Subsequently, all such electors have been issued new EPIC cards with unique numbers. The origin of this issue dates back to 2005 when various States/UTs were independently using different alphanumeric series for each Assembly Constituency. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Invertir con Cervecería Nacional CFD, si tienes 30 o más, puede alegrar tu cuenta bancaria las inversiones de hoy Reservar Undo These series underwent a mandatory change in 2008 following the delimitation of constituencies. However, during this transition period, some Assembly Constituencies inadvertently continued using either the old series or, due to typographical errors, adopted series allocated to other constituencies, the spokesperson said. The ECI clarified that every voter's name is registered in the electoral roll of the specific polling station where they are an ordinary resident. Possessing an EPIC with a similar number never enabled any individual to cast a vote at a different polling station. Therefore, the issue of similar EPIC numbers could not have influenced the outcome of any elections.
