What are the genuine concerns raised over EVMs and how has the Election Commission of India responded to them

ECI failed to provide substantive response to 'genuine concerns' over EVMs: Jairam Ramesh

The genuine concerns raised over Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) include the following:

Security: Concerns have been raised regarding the security of EVMs and the possibility of tampering or hacking.
Transparency: Some argue that the lack of a paper trail makes it difficult to verify the accuracy of the voting process.
Reliability: Questions have been raised about the reliability and trustworthiness of EVMs in terms of malfunctioning or errors in vote counting.
Auditability: Critics argue that the EVMs do not allow for a proper post-election audit, making it challenging to identify any discrepancies.

In response to these concerns, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken the following steps:

EVM Security: The ECI has asserted that the EVMs are tamper-proof and have multiple layers of security measures in place to prevent any unauthorized access.
VVPAT System: The ECI has introduced the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system, which allows voters to verify their vote through a paper receipt before it is electronically recorded.
EVM Testing: The ECI conducts regular mock polls and pre-election testing of EVMs to ensure they are functioning properly.
EVM Challenge: The ECI has organized public challenges, inviting individuals to demonstrate any vulnerabilities in the EVMs, with none successfully proving tampering.

However, critics argue that the ECI's responses have not adequately addressed the genuine concerns raised over EVMs.

Answered a year ago

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