electronic voting machine

Q1: Pre-programmed chips for party favors

How can we be sure that the chip inside is not pre-programmed in favor of a particular party?
Answer: EVM has microcontroller one time programmable (OTP), meaning it can be programmed only once. This programming is strictly monitored
technical expert committeeAnd the source code is audited by independent experts. Before each election, mock polls involving over 1,000 votes are conducted, allowing political parties to verify that the voting pattern has been recorded accurately. Therefore it is impossible to program it in advance to benefit someone.

Q2: Insider tampering before election day

What stops an insider from tampering with the machine before election day?
Answer: EVMs are stored in secure strong rooms with 24/7 CCTV surveillance and armed security of multiple independent (Central and State) agencies. They have tamper-evident seals with unique serial numbers, and the two-step randomization process ensures that no one knows until the last moment which EVM will be used where. Pre-poll checks are conducted in the presence of representatives of several political parties to verify the integrity of the machines.

Q3: Wireless Hacking

Can’t machines be hacked through wireless signals or Bluetooth?
Answer: Indian EVMs have no wireless components, including no internet connectivity, Bluetooth or external ports. They are designed as “air-gapped”, meaning they are physically isolated from any network, making them immune to remote hacking attempts.

Q4: Tampering with storage

How do we know that votes are not being changed when the machines are in storage?
Answer: EVMs are stored in secure rooms:

Any unauthorized access will trigger an alarm and require the presence of authorized personnel and party representatives.

Q5: Replacement from duplicate machines

What will happen if someone replaces the original EVM with a duplicate machine?
Answer:Each EVM has a unique serial number, digital signature, holographic seal and key code. During First Level Check (FLC), these identifiers are verified and documented in the presence of party representatives. These details can be cross-referenced before the voting begins to ensure authenticity.

Q6: Magnetic interference

Can strong magnets or electromagnetic pulses manipulate polling data?
Answer: The EVM is designed with electromagnetic shielding, meeting military-grade standards. They are immune to electromagnetic fields up to 6 Tesla, surpassing the strength of MRI machines. This ensures that external magnetic fields cannot alter the stored vote data.

Q7: Outreach for illiterate voters

How can illiterate voters ensure that their vote will go to the candidate of their choice?
Answer: EVMs have large, clear symbols and party names with audible beep confirmation for each vote. Voter-verifiable paper audit trail ,VVPAT) provides visual confirmation of the vote cast. Additionally, Braille signs assist visually impaired voters.

Question 8: Preventing multiple votes

How can we prevent multiple votes from being registered when no one is watching?
Answer: EVMs are designed to allow only one vote per voter. The control unit enables voting only after the Presiding Officer presses the “Ballot” button, and it is mandatory to wait for 5 seconds between votes. This mechanism ensures that each vote is recorded individually and prevents multiple voting without detection.

Q9: Software update or malicious code insertion

Could malicious code be inserted during maintenance or software updates?
Answer: EVMs do not accept software updates after manufacturing. The program is burned into the OTP chip, which cannot be modified once set. There are no external input ports, and maintenance is entirely physical and mechanical, ensuring that no software changes can be made.

Q10: Fault detection

How will we verify if there is a machine malfunction during voting?
Answer: EVMs have continuous self-diagnosis features and provide visual and audio indicators for any errors. If a malfunction is detected, the machine is locked to preserve vote data, and backup machines are immediately available to prevent disruption.

Q11: Battery failure

What happens if the battery dies during voting—are votes lost?
Answer: EVMs have a robust battery system with 48 hours of backup and non-volatile memory that retains data without power outages. Redundant power systems ensure that even in the event of battery failure, vote data remains intact.

Q12: Conditional Programming

Can the machine be programmed to transfer votes after a certain number of votes?
Answer: No, the OTP chip cannot be reprogrammed and it records each vote as exactly cast without any conditional logic. security protocol To prevent such changes, multiple layers of verification ensure the integrity of the voting process.

Question 13: VVPAT integration

How does VVPAT integration ensure voter verification?
Answer: VVPAT provides a physical paper trail that voters can view and verify immediately after casting their vote. This paper record is stored securely and can be used for audits or recounts, adding an additional layer of transparency and trust to the electoral process.

Q14: Security protocol

What security protocols are in place to protect EVMs from tampering?
Answer: EVMs are designed with a number of security features, including:

These measures ensure that any attempt at tampering will be immediately detected and the validity of the machine will be lost.

Q15: Display unit security

Can someone hack the machine through the display unit?
Answer: The display unit is entirely output only and has no input capabilities. It is hardwired to display information and cannot be used as an interface for programming or altering the operation of the machine.

Question 16: Climate Resilience

How are EVMs protected from extreme climatic conditions?
Answer: The EVM is designed to operate in a wide range of temperatures (from -10 °C)
+55°C) and high humidity levels (up to 95%). They are also tested for resistance to heavy rains, ensuring reliability in the diverse Indian climate.

Q17: Direct memory access

What would happen if someone tried to directly access the machine’s memory chip?
Answer:Memory is encrypted using AES-256 and physically secured within the machine. Tamper-evident seals cover the memory area, and any attempt to directly access the memory will damage the seals and be immediately detected, rendering the machine invalid for use.

Question 18: Result transmission security

Can votes be changed during the results transmission process?
Answer: The results are first physically recorded on the EVMs and then transmitted through secure channels. Multiple copies of the results, including the VVPAT paper trail, are maintained, which can be used for cross-verification. This redundancy ensures that any attempts to alter the results will be detected during transmission.

Question 19: Random Sampling in VVPAT Verification

How do we know that a random sample of VVPAT slips is truly random?
Answer: This process uses computerized random number generation, and the selection is done in the presence of representatives of all political parties. This ensures transparency and fairness in the sampling method.

Q20: Manufacturer inspection

What stops manufacturers from building hidden backdoors into EVMs?
Answer:The manufacturing process is overseen by several agencies, including independent safety auditors. Components are verified at each stage, and the final assembled units undergo extensive testing by various teams to ensure there are no vulnerabilities or backdoors.

Q21: Battery charge level

Does the varying level of battery capacity (charge level) in EVMs at the time of counting of votes indicate any possibility of hacking?
Answer: From a technical engineering perspective, the allegation fundamentally misunderstands the EVM power architecture. The “99%” display is not a battery charge percentage, but rather a voltage threshold indicator that shows “99%” whenever the battery voltage remains within the optimal operating range of 7.4V – 8.0V. This is purely an administrative feature to indicate the proper working voltage level. EVMs use non-rechargeable alkaline batteries (7.5V/8V configuration), with vote data stored in non-volatile EEPROM memory, meaning that vote storage and counting is completely independent of the state of the battery. The power system is completely isolated from the vote recording circuit, making it technically impossible for battery condition to affect the vote pattern or counting sequence. Furthermore, the data integrity of each EVM can be verified through VVPAT audit trails, irrespective of power conditions. Therefore, any correlation between battery display readings and voting patterns is technically impossible given the basic architecture and security protocols of EVMs.
conclusion
Indian EVMs, especially the M3 model combined with VVPAT, incorporate a number of security measures and safeguards to ensure the integrity and transparency of the EVMs. electionThrough rigorous testing, multiple layers of verification, and strong security protocols, these machines provide a reliable and trustworthy voting system.
(The views of senior IPS officer and cyber security expert Brijesh Singh are personal.)

Last updated:December 01, 2024, 16:17 IST

The Golden Path, or Palace-to-Palace Corridor, is a 4.7 kilometer route that starts from Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace in Chamarajpet and ends at the Bangalore Palace near Mekhri Circle. This historical expanse traverses iconic sites, heritage buildings and forgotten gems

Architects and conservationists have been pushing for the implementation of this project, which highlights 500 years of Bengaluru’s history. symbolic image/x

Basavanagudi will be developed as a heritage corridor under a proposal by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Brand Bengaluru The initiative has rekindled interest in the city’s age-old cultural heritage. The announcement has prompted heritage enthusiasts to advocate for the long-pending project, Swarna Marg, or the Golden Route, which aims to preserve and showcase Bengaluru’s rich historical narrative.

Architects and conservationists are pushing for the implementation of the project, which highlights the 500-year history of Bengaluru – from its founding by Kempegowda in 1537 to its emergence as the Silicon Valley of India.

The Golden Path, or Palace-to-Palace Corridor, is a 4.7 kilometer route that starts from Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace in Chamarajpet and ends at the Bangalore Palace near Mekhri Circle. This historical expanse traverses iconic sites, heritage buildings and forgotten gems.

‘A time capsule’

Urban expert and architect Naresh Narasimhan, who conceptualized the project in collaboration with INTACH, describes the corridor as a time capsule. He explains how the project advocates declaring the entire corridor a heritage area, thereby preventing new construction or demolition of existing structures.

“This corridor between Tipu’s palace and the Wodeyar’s palace has 53 heritage structures. “Each structure has a story to tell that also reflects the essence of Bengaluru’s history,” Narasimhan told News18.

The Golden Path initiative also aims to bring to light lesser known aspects of Bengaluru’s history. For example, the importance of Avenue Road in the heart of Bengaluru, which was a major axis of the city during the Third Anglo-Mysore War, when the British planned to attack Bengaluru. The battle fought between the British and the Mysoreans on the Avenue Road, or Shahaji Bhonsle, father of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, received Bengaluru as a jagir from the Bijapur Sultanate and settled here in the mid-17th century. His son, Shivaji, married Saibai Nimbalkar in Bengaluru before returning to his northern territories.

Stories buried by time include the forgotten tomb of Hyder Ali’s maternal uncle at Cumberpet and the grand armory of Tipu Sultan. Each of these sites represents a chapter in the city’s vibrant history but suffers from neglect.

Basavanagudi, one of the oldest planned areas of the city, was designed by Scottish engineer Standish Lee in 1896. Its unique drainage system and wide roads made it an ideal locality, and it was once home to peacocks and lush greenery. Today, only 15 of the 800-1,000 historic bungalows spread across Bengaluru still exist.

Basavanagudi and other historical areas of Bengaluru still boast of architectural marvels such as the Bengaluru Gayana Samaj and Tipu’s Armoury. However, neglect and urbanization have left many such treasures in disrepair or fallen to modern development.

“Tipu’s armory has been neglected and needs to be well maintained as part of our history. People who come to Bengaluru think it is only Whitefield or Electronic City, but there is a lot in our city that is deeply embedded in history and that can be permanently highlighted for the future,” Mansoor Ali, a said the architect-turned-historian who is curating the heritage. Padayatra to preserve and promote the rich culture of Bengaluru.

‘broken’ past

Ali, co-founder of Bengaluru by Foot, walks around the city sharing stories from the founding of Bengaluru by Kempegowda to the British-era town planning, which worked effectively until the 1970s and 1980s but has since seen rapid decline. There has been a decline.

“In places like Basavanagudi, we have Gavi Gangadhareshwar temple, Bull temple and others. The state government comes up with ideas to save such heritage structures, but they remain just ideas and never come to fruition. Ideas are born when a particular political party is in power, but once it changes, the idea becomes history.”

For example, a move was taken to save the 100-year-old structure that was the first residence of HV Nanjundaiah, founder-president of Kannada Sahitya Parishad. Later it was donated to the government to start a Government Girls High School and there were plans to make it a museum in Malleshwaram.

“It was the brainchild of Malleshwaram MLA and then BJP minister Ashwath Narayan, but nothing has happened for the last five years, and the project is in limbo. If the Congress, which is in power now, talks about Basavanagudi and making it a heritage corridor, we don’t know what will happen to it if the government changes,” Mansoor said.

In 2014, the government faced public outcry over its proposal to demolish Balabrui House, a heritage building, to construct an MLAs’ club house. The plan was eventually cancelled, but the incident exposed the fragility of Bengaluru’s heritage. However, with Balabrui House now set to serve as the home of MLAs, health experts are working on its interiors and structural upgrades.

preserving the heritage

Groups such as Bengaluru by Foot and Bygone Bengaluru have taken up the cause of reviving the city’s heritage. Through curated walks and social media campaigns, they aim to rekindle public interest in Bengaluru’s past.

Ali recalled a heritage walk, House of Malgudi, which he organized till five years ago, which included historical areas like Malleshwaram (Mal) and Basavanagudi (Gudi), from where the name Malgudi originated, but now This is a thing of the past. He says, most of the houses were demolished after the Covid pandemic. These include the houses of Justice Nitur Srinivasa Rao in Basavanagudi and Villa Pottipati in Malleshwaram. Ali explains that this walk is not just about the buildings but reflects the spirit of the bygone era.

The Golden Path and similar initiatives face significant challenges including encroachment, poor maintenance and lack of government funding. The Tipu Sultan Arsenal, a UNESCO recognized site at Kalasipalyam, lies amid garbage and broken footpaths, reflecting the neglect of most prominent heritage sites.

“Foreign citizens are in awe of Tipu’s rockets and missiles, but when they visit the armory, it is in such a dilapidated condition, and the attitude towards it so dirty that we feel ashamed. We have such world famous structures hidden behind the garbage of modern times, Ali lamented.

“Minto Hospital, one of the leading eye hospitals in the state, has walkable footpaths in front. Vani Vilas Children’s Hospital, which was built with funds donated by private citizens like Chintalapalli Venkatamuniah Setty, Sajjan Rao, SVS Setty etc., suffered damage due to the metro construction. A wing on the southern side collapsed as a result of metro tunneling work,” Ali explained, underscoring the urgent need for preservation. “Without immediate action, we risk losing more of Bengaluru’s history. There is a need for a holistic plan, not just for Basavanagudi, but the entire city.”

Narasimhan said, there is an urgent need for Bengaluru Heritage Protection Act. “Without a legal framework, these buildings will continue to disappear, taking with them the stories of the past,” he said.

Deputy CM Shivakumar said, as minister in-charge of Bengaluru, he was committed to preserving Basavanagudi, the birthplace of Vrishabhavati, which holds immense cultural significance. There was also a demand for revival of Vrishabhavati river.

The Vrishabhavati, which is currently little more than a dirty drain carrying sewage and waste water from the city, originates from the Bull Temple at Basavanagudi and flows through south and west Bengaluru before joining the Arkavathi near Kanakapura.

Narasimhan believes that the K-100 waterway project, which runs from Shantala Silk Junction in Majestic to Koramangala in BTM and drains into Bellandur Lake, covering a distance of 12 km, is a good example of how the Vrishabhavati can be transformed. How can be developed and kept free from sewage.

It gets night early here. The yellow haze of a lone dirty streetlight struggles to dispel the darkness. It is only 10 o’clock at night but as the cold in the chawl increases, the streets are becoming increasingly empty. The only sign of life next to a clump of huts is where six men are tuning their instruments, the centerpiece an old harmonium held together by a patchwork of black tape. With a makeshift canopy above their heads and a lime-green carpet spread out in front of them, the men gather together for warmth and prepare their repertoire. In front of the troupe a slow crowd of people devoid of even basic glamor is gathering – all middle-aged, all poor, all raring to go.

Such scenes are not uncommon in the interior of India, where folk artists often hold all-night shows or jalshas. But Gautam Awadh’s group is different. There will be no devotional songs or stories of divine miracles in his performance. Instead, over the next few hours, Awad and his musicians will sing about India’s founding document, using Marathi poems and folk songs to highlight how the Constitution has changed the lives of India’s marginalized castes. “In India, a rag picker can become a ruler – this is the miracle of the Constitution. This is our first song,” said Awad, whose troupe is hired by grassroots communities to mark various occasions like Republic Day, weddings or funerals.

This is not an economically profitable activity; When Awad started singing about the Constitution in 1968, the one-night stand became a fascinating 60. Today, it could be anywhere in between 2,000 more 4,000. Yet, the expanse of Maharashtra is filled with folk shaheers or folk artists who travel from village to village singing about the Constitution. His untrained voices and the sound of his harmonium have created a strong grassroots link between the Constitution and the common people whose lives it rules.

“It is a long tradition, as old as the Constitution. Through their words, these artists are viewing the Constitution not just as a legal document but as a social code of equality and self-respect, said Milind Awad, professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Folk arts for social change

The practice of writing and performing songs and poems about the Constitution came to prominence during the 1950s when a young republic was coming to terms with the new social and moral codes unveiled by the document. Far from mainstream appreciation, these folk artists commanded loyal followers in the hinterland. “Maharashtra has a history of folk art like Tamasha, from where genres like Jalsa were born. The lavani that is popular today is also a branch of the same tree,” said Atul Yerekar, a doctoral candidate at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

His father, Sahebrao Yerekar, is one of the most famous exponents of this genre, who turned to questions of similarity in devotional songs under the tutelage of the 19th-century reformist Jyotiba Phule, who used songs and poetry to highlight rationalism. Did. A resident of Parbhani district, Yerekar senior was a disciple of the Ambedkarite Marathi poet Vamandada Kardak and started singing hymns in praise of the Constitution at the age of 12. “We had a troupe of nine people – playing the tabla. Harmonium, banjo, drums and chorus. The demonstrations usually last till night and include songs and drama based around the Constitution,” he said.

Unlike mythological plays or devotional songs, the Constitution was a much more serious subject – but according to Yerekar senior the singers used the extraordinary life of Dr BR Ambedkar to make a connection.

“Babasaheb’s image was enough to attract people. We will include his life story in our songs – the discrimination he fought and the challenges he overcame. And we’ll talk about how the Constitution made it possible for people like us to go where we want and hold our heads high.”

This was a time of intense conflict and songs about the Constitution were often seen by upper caste groups as a proxy for Dalit assertion, leading to violent reactions. “Every week, there was some or the other clash. People will abuse, file cases against us. There used to be fights after the programs because the upper castes did not believe that we had organized our own cultural programs. They beat us,” Yerekar Sr. said.

‘Challenge the dominant culture’

In the quest to convey the message of the Constitution to the people, each generation of activists faced its own challenges. For lyricist Sambhaji Bhagat, whose life was made famous by the 2014 National Award-winning film Court, that obstacle came in the form of communalism and cultural dominance that threatened to erase the lives of marginalized castes in the 1990s.

“Whether it was the Babri Masjid demolition or brutal caste attacks, we campaigned to protect the Constitution. We would go from door to door and sing songs; And we don’t drink water until we touch five houses and talk to them about the Constitution,” Bhagat said.

His booming voice and signature locks are now a mainstay of the Marathi theater scene; Bhagat moved to Mumbai in the 1980s and lived in the now-demolished Siddharth Vihar hostel, where he gave talks about the Constitution and liberation from the center of anti-caste ideas. “From that experience, it was clear to me that we have to talk to the youth about the Constitution. So we started Insaniyat ki Pathshala (School of Humanity), where we held an hour-long class every Sunday in the slums, and talked to the children about the Precepts, including songs and games,” he said. .

For him, the power of the common man lies in challenging the dominant culture. “Look at us, we are little men with insignificant lives. We have neither money nor influence. But we have songs and constitution. To better humanity, this is enough,” he said.

great art comes from struggles

Many of the men and women who sing about the Constitution come from poor families and marginalized backgrounds, their poems inspired not by legal knowledge but by the grassroots changes – such as the abolition of untouchability – that the Constitution brought about.

“Their constitutionality goes beyond legal procedural text. They are helping to replace the general understanding of caste society with a new good understanding of rules and system. Milind Awad said, “These songs are a celebration of those oppressed by social inequalities and caste.”

Rekha Bharti is one of them. A resident of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Bharti started singing at the age of eight and using the Qawwali style, has since made a name for herself with her troupe – Rekha Bharti Ani Sanch – which she formed in 1991. Sakhubai Salve is the second one. The 60-year-old woman is illiterate, but often jokes about how she can perform any song by keeping it on her personal computer – her mind.

For female singers, rejection often comes from within their families, said Samiksha Bamne, a female poet whose troupe – Sanvidh Sanskruti Jalsha – presents short plays about the Constitution. “Many members of my own group face pressure to leave the stage, and certainly, among our generation, these forms of art are not seen as good,” the law student said. “There is a fear that the tradition is waning, although some of our most enthusiastic listeners are domestic workers and women victims of violence.”

carrying on the legacy

It’s now a few minutes before midnight and Gautam Awad’s energy is slowing down a bit. As the old man stops to take a sip of water, his younger colleague Rajesh Tupe takes out the big notes. He is 29 years old, one of the handful of youngsters who are carrying on the tradition of writing songs about the Constitution. But he is not happy.

“Violence may have reduced but the prejudice of the ancient era has not ended. There is still no intermarriage or intermingling between the higher castes and our castes; They do not allow us to enter temples. Even if our keyboard artists play tunes in praise of Baba Saheb, they are attacked. No matter how much you try, they don’t understand (you can try to make them understand, but they won’t understand).

But Gautam Awadh advises to remain calm. The elder has lived through the turbulent times of the 1970s and 80s, when Dalit communities were attacked just for invoking the Constitution, where a movement demanding renaming of a university to include Dr Ambedkar lasted for 16 years. It took four lives and was sung against the social strictures of caste that often invite violence.

“We were scared but we never stopped singing. After all, this is our Constitution,” he said. Pointing to the half-full glass of water still in his hand, he recalled the time when he was 20 and he was slapped in the middle of a show in his aunt’s village because He had dared to ask for a glass of water from the common well. , “The village bullies thought they would stop us,” he said, laughing.

“But what is more powerful than the Constitution?”