High time NRIs empowered to vote from their locations: Outgoing CEC Rajiv Kumar
New Delhi, Feb 17 (PTI): Outgoing Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Monday stressed the need to have a totaliser system to ensure confidentiality in polling station-wise voting patterns and said it is high time that NRIs are empowered to vote from their locations.
In his farewell address ahead of his retirement on attaining the age of 65 years, he also said consensus for remote voting mechanisms is must to facilitate crores of migrant voters.
Biometric authentication at polling booths should be tried to efficiently tackle impersonation of voters, Kumar, who demits office on February 18, said.
He said online reporting of political party expenditures has begun and must be made mandatory for better financial transparency and analytics.
On political promises, he said these must be backed by financial disclosures and courts need to facilitate early decision.
Unregulated social media algorithms pose a serious risk to elections worldwide and must be addressed urgently, Kumar underlined and asserted that election management bodies need to develop capacity to counter mischievous, baseless and strategically timed criticism.
Casting doubt on outcomes after active and full participation in the process is undesirable, the outgoing head of the poll authority lamented.
"Technology has been a powerful enabler in our electoral processes, helping refine voter rolls, streamline operations, and engage citizens more effectively," he said.
The EC, he said, has been at the forefront in "adopting technology in our electoral operations".
"However, innovations like biometric authentication may further help prevent impersonation and multiple voting, ensuring that every vote belongs to the rightful voter," he said.
Presently in the system of counting of votes, the result is retrieved from each EVM, then the votes polled in respect of each candidate is totalled and result is declared. The demerit of this system of counting is that the candidates can know from where they have received how much vote. This leads to the problem of post-election violence, victimisation and exclusion of the supporters of opposition parties from developmental activities.
To address this, Kumar said, technologies like the totaliser, already developed by the Commission, would ensure that the votes secured by each candidate- polling station wise is not disclosed.
"I believe that this matter should be explored, political consensus attempted and tested on a pilot basis to enhance voter secrecy and protect the integrity of the electoral process," the outgoing CEC said.
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Caste census will form basis for future policy decision, says CM Siddaramaiah
Mysuru (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that the ongoing caste census would form the basis for future policy decisions, asserting that the exercise was crucial to advancing social justice in the state.
Addressing a gathering at the Siddarameshwara Jayanti celebrations here, he said caste enumeration was being carried out for the first time since 1931 and would be followed by deliberations once the report is submitted.
"At present, a caste census (Jaati Sameekshe) is underway. After the report comes, we will discuss it and take necessary decisions," Siddaramaiah said.
He underlined the government’s commitment to equality, stating, "We are committed to social justice. No one should face injustice. Even if not 100 per cent, we will strive to ensure 99 per cent justice."
Referring to measures aimed at addressing intra-caste disparities, the chief minister said the government had already implemented internal reservation based on revised classifications.
"We have gone beyond the Nagamohan Das report and implemented internal reservation… now it has been revised to 5.25 per cent, 5.25 per cent, and 4.5 per cent. This has been approved by the Cabinet," he said.
Siddaramaiah said the broader objective was to ensure equitable distribution of resources and opportunities, while reiterating that policy interventions would be guided by constitutional principles.
"Our objective is equal share and equal life for all," he said.
He also emphasised the role of education in eliminating inequalities, particularly among marginalised communities, and said empowerment was essential to dismantle entrenched caste hierarchies.
"Only when people gain such empowerment can caste divisions be eradicated. Education is essential for this," he added.
The CM said the government would examine demands raised by various communities and take decisions based on feasibility, while ensuring that benefits reached all sections without discrimination.
