The Election Commission of India. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday (August 19, 2025) listed 28 “significant initiatives aimed at streamlining and improving the electoral process” taken by it in the past six months, and listed them under four heads. The initiatives include the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar; the linking of death registration data with voter rolls; and regular interactions with leaders of political parties. The ECI’s statement on initiatives comes two days after Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who took charge in February, held a press conference over issues raised by the Opposition parties on the sanctity of the voter rolls and the SIR in Bihar. Opposition parties have said the ECI’s press briefing left many questions unanswered. Electoral Registration Officers, Deputy Electoral Officers, and Chief Electoral Officers have held all-party meetings nationwide, engaging with over 28,000 representatives of various political parties, the ECI’s statement said. The Commission is also regularly interacting with the presidents and senior leaders of national and State parties, and 20 such meetings had been held so far, the ECI added.To clean-up and strengthen electoral systems, 476 inactive Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPP) had been identified for delisting, and standard photo ID cards issued to Booth Level Officers, the ECI said.Technical and administrative standard operating procedures (SOP) had been issued to check and verify burnt memory/microcontrollers in 5% of electronic voting machines (EVMs) after the declaration of results, the ECI said.National-level conferences had been held with legal counsel and Chief Electoral Officers to strengthen legal framework and representation across various judicial forums, the ECI said. Bilateral meetings with heads of election management bodies had also been held, the ECI added. ECINET, a one-stop digital platform, has subsumed more than 40 apps and websites for electors and other stakeholders of the poll body, including election officials and political parties. Other initiatives include 100% webcasting at polling stations, real-time voter turnout updates every two hours, and digital index cards and reports in a technology-driven system to promote accessibility of election-related data at the level of the constituency, the ECI’s statement said.Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slip counting in the case of every mismatch between Form 17C and EVM data, and wherever mock poll data was not erased erroneously, is also being carried out, the ECI said.Under the heading ‘Purity of Electoral Rolls’ in its statement, the ECI’s statement listed the SIR in Bihar, special summary revision before byelections, linking of death registration data, and unique EPIC numbers for every voter.A new SOP ensures delivery of EPIC cards within 15 days of an update in the electoral rolls, including new enrolment of an elector, or a change in any particulars of an existing voter. Electors will also receive notifications via SMS at each stage, the ECI said.For ease in voting, a mobile deposit facility has been provided at polling stations, with a limit of 1,200 voters to ensure shorter queues, and clearer voter information slips, with serial and part numbers displayed prominently for easier verification of voters, the ECI said.Among the other initiatives are enhanced remuneration for poll officials, training booth level agents appointed by political parties, and a special training for police officers to ensure law and order during elections, the ECI stated. Published - August 19, 2025 07:43 pm IST
