Lucknow: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday said Indian electronic voting machines (EVMs) are manufactured by public sector companies and do not have internet, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi connectivity.
During his two-day visit to Lucknow, Kumar interacted with students at the historic Colvin Taluqdars’ College and discussed India’s democratic system, the electoral process, the reliability of EVMs, and the importance of young voters, according to an official statement.
In response to questions about EVMs, the CEC emphasised that the machines used in India are produced by public sector companies and are not connected to the internet or any wireless technologies.
Highlighting the scale of India’s electoral exercise, Kumar said the country has around 100 crore voters and conducting elections for such a vast electorate was itself a massive task.
Kumar stated that a large number of officials and employees work to ensure the electoral process runs smoothly.
He encouraged young people to actively engage in the democratic process and referred to Article 326 of the Constitution while urging students who have reached the age of 18 to register as voters.
The commission prov-ides voter registration facilities through its digital platforms, he said.
Kumar also implored young people to not only become voters themselves but also to encourage their family members and peers to participate in elections.
“Young people are the most important force behind the democratic future of the country. If they participate in the electoral process with awareness, democracy will become stronger,” he said.
Later, speaking at another programme, Kumar said, “As you are all aware, elections in India are conducted as per the Constitution, laws, and guidelines (‘nirdesho’). When the electoral roll is prepared in India, its concurrent audit is carried out by the booth-level agents of all political parties. Similarly, during polling, a concurrent audit is conducted by the candidates’ polling agents; and likewise, during the counting process, a concurrent audit is performed by the candidates’ counting agents.”
