Latest news with #PhotoIdentityCard
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
A crisis of trust: On the Election Commission of India
The credibility of an electoral system, or democracy in general, is dependent solely on it being seen as fair by all, particularly so by the loser. This is comparable to a judicial dispute or a sporting event on this count. If the losers think they lost only because the process was rigged against them, a crisis of trust develops. The serious charges being raised against the Election Commission of India (ECI) by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has to be seen in this context. He says that he has plans to disclose more information regarding discrepancies in the 2024 general election. One must wait for the details of those allegations before making any comments on their merits. The ECI has come under attack by politicians earlier too. Narendra Modi, when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, had repeatedly questioned the impartiality of the ECI. Many of these charges against the ECI are rhetorical attempts by political parties or leaders to animate supporters. In Bihar, the Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, has alleged his name did not exist on the draft electoral roll which is being revised by the ECI. As it turns out the Elector's Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number that he thought was his is different from the one in the ECI records, raising a new controversy. Politicians should be raising questions about the electoral process only when there are strong grounds for doing so. Trust in the electoral system is foundational to representative democracy. That said, the ECI's recent statements and actions, far from buttressing public trust and enhancing transparency in the process, raise more questions. Its efficiency and its neutrality are on test in the preparation of rolls, scheduling of elections, enforcement of the code of conduct, counting process, and the redress of complaints. The ECI stands charged on each of these counts. Other than protesting that the electronic voting machines (EVM) are beyond tampering, and that political parties should raise objections regarding rolls at the appropriate time, the ECI has refused to come clean on multiple issues. It has not been transparent about the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine which is one of the three parts that make an Electronic Voting Machine. Unlike the other two parts — the Ballot Unit and the Control Unit — the VVPAT has software that is centrally installed and it is connected to the control unit. The random tallying of the VVPAT with the electronically cast votes is now an extremely arbitrary process. All political parties do not have the equal capacity to monitor the various stages of the electoral process. At any rate, the election process is not a matter of negotiation between parties and the ECI. Political parties have a role to play, but the real question is to ensure that the citizenry at large is reassured of the integrity of the electoral process. The ECI needs to correct its course to ensure that.
News18
17-07-2025
- General
- News18
UPSC CMS Admit Card 2025 Released At upsconline.gov.in, Direct Link Here
Last Updated: UPSC CMS Admit Card 2025: The exam is set to be conducted on July 20. Candidates must carry the admit card along with a Photo Identity Card. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the UPSC Combined Medical Services (CMS) Admit Card 2025. Those who have applied for the exam successfully can download the admit card by visiting the official websites, or by entering the required login credentials. The exam is set to be conducted on July 20. The UPSC notice advises applicants to verify their e-Admit Card and report any discrepancies to the Commission. Entry to the testing location will be denied if candidates fail to present their e-Admit Cards at check-in. The notification also states that candidates will be barred from entering the examination venue 30 minutes before each session starts, which is 9 AM for the morning session and 1:30 PM for the afternoon session. No candidate will be allowed entry after this window closes. Step 1: Visit the Union Public Service Commission's (UPSC) official webpage. Step 6: Take a printout of the UPSC CMS admit card 2025 and present the same at the examination hall. Applicants must bring this printed e-Admit Card and the original Photo Identity Card, as listed on the e-Admit Card, to each exam session. Additionally, candidates should keep the e-Admit Card accessible until the final results are announced. 'The candidates will have to produce the printout of their e-Admit Card at the allotted Venue for appearing at the Examination. A candidate, who does not produce his/her e-Admit Card for checking at the allotted venue, shall not be allowed to take the Examination. The candidates are also required to carry along the Photo ID Card, whose number is mentioned in the e-Admit Card, for appearing at each Session of the Examination," the official notice states. view comments First Published: July 10, 2025, 15:14 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Pleas in SC challenge EC's revision of electoral rolls in Bihar
The Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) and political activist Yogendra Yadav have filed petitions in the Supreme Court, challenging the Election Commission's (EC) decision to undertake a special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, with the development coming amid a political uproar over the controversial move. Pleas in SC challenge EC's revision of electoral rolls in Bihar ADR, a non-profit working on electoral and political reforms, in its petition alleged that the June 24 directive of the EC to carry out an SIR in Bihar was arbitrary and unconstitutional, and that the move will lead to disenfranchisement of nearly 30 million citizens in the state. Yadav, on the other, questioned the timing of SIR, claiming that a 'de novo (afresh) preparation of the rolls, just six months after a detailed survey, two months after a revision of rolls and a few months before state elections betrays complete nonapplication of mind by the ECI, and renders the present process manifestly arbitrary.' The petitions have also questioned the need for citizens, who do not figure in the earlier revised roll of 2003, to prove their citizenship based any of the list of 11 documents prescribed by the poll body, which does not contain the basic identity documents of Aadhaar card, ration card, ECI's Photo Identity Card, or the MGNREGA job card, which are readily available. 'For the first time, the requirement to furnish documents is being weaponised not only to add new voters, as has been the historical practice, but also to cause automatic en-masse deletion of existing electors, including those who have voted in multiple previous elections,' Yadav said in his plea. This reversal of purpose marks a disturbing shift in electoral policy, one that undermines settled expectations, voter's right to continuity, and disregards the legitimacy of longstanding voters on the basis of whose votes multiple governments have been formed, Yadav's plea said, while affirming: 'This revision, therefore, appears to be a calculated exercise to purge the rolls of inconvenient voters, and a veiled attempt at mass disenfranchisement.' Both petitions questioned the short notice available to voters to arrange for the documents in a state like Bihar, where high level of illiteracy, poverty and migration may seriously disadvantage marginalised communities such as Dalits, tribals, OBCs, migrant workers and transgenders, who may lack access to documents such as birth certificates or parental records to prove their eligibility to remain on the electoral roll. The ADR's petition filed through advocate Prashant Bhushan on Friday sought the setting aside of the EC order, alleging that SIR violates fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, and 21, as well as other provisions of the Constitution. 'The SIR order if not set aside, can arbitrarily and without due process disenfranchise lakhs of voters from electing their representatives, thereby disrupting free and fair elections and democracy in the country, which are part of basic structure of the Constitution,' it alleged. The plea further alleged that the ongoing exercise also violates the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Rule 21A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. 'While SIR of Bihar or any other state of country is a positive step, but the manner in which ECI has directed the conduct of SIR in a poll bound state like Bihar, has raised questions from all stakeholders, particularly the voters,' ADR said. Bihar will go to assembly polls in October-November this year. 'As per estimates over 3 crore (30 million) voters and more particularly from marginalised communities (such as SC, STs and migrant workers) could be excluded from voting due to the stringent requirements as mentioned in the SIR order,' the petition added. EC, in a comprehensive note issued on July 3, said the SIR drive will cover nearly 79 million electors across the state and the final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on September 30. The need for the revision, according to EC, stems from rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, a surge in first-time voters, non-reporting of deaths and concerns about 'foreign illegal immigrant'. However, opposition parties allege the exercise is designed to disrupt the level playing field ahead of assembly elections.
