'After ISI report, EC to decide on raising polling stations where VVPAT slips matched with results'
New Delhi, Dec 1 : Amid demands by parties to increase the number of polling stations where paper trail machine slips are matched with EVM results, outgoing Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat has said the poll panel will take a final call on the issue after the Indian Statistical Institute submits a report on it.
"They will be submitting the report after these five assembly elections and then commission will be able to take a call," he told PTI.
Asked whether the number of polling stations where slips are matched will increase, he said, "That I can't say, whether it will be increasing, status quo or decreasing. It will depend on the report."
Rawat said they have been tasked with that "for 99.99 per cent confidence level with near zero error", what should be the optimum sample size.
Parties parties have demanded that 10 to 30 per cent paper trail slips per constituency be counted to ensure there is no rigging and to assure voters that the electronic voting machines are working fine and have not been rigged.
As of now, while paper trail machines are used in all polling stations and their slips are counted in polling station per constituency.
Voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) or paper trail machine is a device which dispenses a slip with the symbol of the party for which a person has voted for.
The slip appears on a small window for seven seconds and then drops in a box. The voter cannot take it home.
The VVPAT are used in all polling stations but as of now, results of EVMs and VVPATs are matched in one polling station per constituency.
There have been demands to increase the number of polling stations where EVM and VVPAT results are matched to dispel fears about electronic voting machines being 'hacked' to favour a particular political party.
The EC has been brainstorming over increasing percentage of VVPAT slips since 2016. Then CEC Nasim Zaidi had pushed for an early decision but little progress was made.
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Kohli's U-19 teammate Amanpreet Singh Gill dies at 36
New Delhi (PTI): Former India U-19 and Punjab medium pacer Amanpreet Singh Gill died at the age of 36 in Chandigarh on Wednesday, leaving the cricket fraternity in mourning.
The cause of death is not yet known.
Gill, who was Virat Kohli's U-19 teammate, featured in six first-class matches for Punjab, picking up 11 wickets.
He was also part of the Punjab franchise (Kings XI Punjab) in the inaugural Indian Premier League season, and later served as a member of Punjab's senior selection committee.
"Punjab Cricket Association deeply mourns the sad demise of Amanpreet Singh Gill, former Punjab cricketer and Member, Senior Selection Committee Punjab,” the Punjab Cricket Association announced on X.
"Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and loved ones. May Waheguru grant eternal peace to the departed soul and strength to the family in this difficult time."
Two-time World Cup-winning India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh also paid tribute to Gill.
"Deeply saddened to hear about Amanpreet Singh Gill’s passing. Shared the dressing room in our early days, he was a quiet, hardworking cricketer who loved the game. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. Rest in peace Om Shanti,” Singh posted on X.
Gill played five Youth ODIs and one Youth Test for India in 2007.
In the longer format, he claimed the wicket of former Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera.
However, he did not make the Virat Kohli-led India U-19 side that went on to win the 2008 World Cup.
“Deeply saddened by the passing of Amanpreet Singh Shergill, who proudly represented Punjab and was a part of the Punjab Kings family. Our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and the entire cricketing fraternity,” Punjab Kings posted on their official Instagram account.
