EVMs tamper-proof, problem lies with VVPATs, says former EC chief
New Delhi : It is not the electronic voting machines (EVMs), but the technical glitches reported in the use of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) that have set off concerns about the technology, former chief election commissioner (CEC) Navin Chawla said on Saturday.
EVMs equipped with VVPATs were used in last year’s elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, allowing voters to verify that their vote had indeed gone to the candidate of their choice. VVPATs were aimed at ensuring transparency in the voting process.
On Thursday, as many as 17 opposition parties revived their demand for reverting to paper ballots in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Leaders of these parties familiar with the development said EVMs, even if they come equipped with the VVPATs, would not be acceptable and they will meet the Election Commission over the next week to push their demand.
Chawla claimed that the efficiency of the EVMs is not in doubt.
“I believe I speak for all of the former chief election commissioners when I say that the electronic voting machine by itself is tamper-proof. The EVMs were used over the years in several elections before they were comprehensively used during the 2004 general elections. They have been used subsequently in 2009 and 2014 general elections as well,” he said.
Referring to the glitches that were reported when the VVPATs were pressed into service during the recent bypolls in Uttar Pradesh’s Kairana and Maharashtra’s Bhandra-Gondiya, Chawla said: “The problem I believe lies with the VVPATs. The use of VVPATs has only recently started; after being selectively used in some elections on a trial basis. The error rate of VVPATs reported is about 5% and may be higher.”
He went on to add: “I can’t say whether the error is on account of the staff not being trained adequately or because of intrinsic problems; but it is these errors that are creating doubts in political parties.”
The Election Commission, on its part, has attributed the glitches to direct light falling on the sensors, and technical issues set off by humidity that in turn affected the thermal paper used in the VVPAT machines.
The former CEC also suggested that tallying of votes recorded in the VVPTAs and EVMs should be done on a larger scale. “Also, at the moment the results are tallied only in one polling station in each constituency. This should be increased to about 5-10% of the total constituencies as this will assuage the doubts of political parties,” he said.
The election commission has reiterated that it will continue to use EVMs along with the VVPATs in all forthcoming elections. The commission has also urged political parties to refrain from casting aspersions on the efficacy and security of these machines, pointing out that these are not only programmed to prevent manipulation or tampering, but are also made to go through stringent checks before polling.
courtesy : hindustantimes.com
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India proposes preferential trade agreement with Mexico to deal with high tariffs
New Delhi (PTI): India has proposed a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Mexico to help domestic exporters deal with the steep tariffs announced by the South American country, a top government official said on Monday.
Mexico has decided to impose steep import tariffs - ranging from about 5 per cent to as high as 50 per cent on a wide range of goods (about 1,463 tariff lines) from countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India has engaged with the country on the issue.
"Technical level talks are on...The only fast way forward is to try to get a preferential trade agreement (PTA) because an FTA (free trade agreement) will take a lot of time. So we are trying to see what can be a good way forward," he told reporters here.
While in an FTA two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum number of goods traded between them, in a PTA, duties are cut or removed on a limited number of products.
Trading partners of Mexico cannot file a compliant against the decision on imposing high tariffs as they are WTO (World Trade Organisation) compatible.
The duties are within their bound rates, he said, adding that their primary target was not India.
"We have proposed a PTA because its a WTO-compatible way forward... we can do a PTA and try to get concessions that are required for Indian supply chains and similarly offer them concessions where they have export interests in India," Agrawal said.
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Citing support for local production and correction of trade imbalances, Mexico has approved an increase in MFN (most favoured nation) import tariffs (5-50 per cent) with effect from January 1, 2026 on 1,455 tariff lines (or product categories) within the WTO framework, targeting non-FTA partners.
Preliminary estimates suggest that this affects India's around USD 2 billion exports to Mexico particularly -- automobile, two-wheelers, auto parts, textiles, iron and steel, plastics, leather and footwear.
The measure is also aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
India-Mexico merchandise trade totalled USD 8.74 billion in 2024, with exports USD 5.73 billion, imports USD 3.01 billion, and a trade surplus of USD 2.72 billion.
The government has been continuously and comprehensively assessing Mexico's tariff revisions since the issue emerged, engaging stakeholders, safeguarding the interests of Indian exporters, and pursuing constructive dialogue to ensure a stable trade environment benefiting businesses and consumers in both countries.
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Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai has said that Mexico's decision is a matter of concern, particularly for sectors like automobiles and auto components, machinery, electrical and electronics, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and plastics.
"Such steep duties will erode our competitiveness and risk, disrupting supply chains that have taken years to develop," Sahai said, adding that this development also underlines the little urgency for India and Mexico to fast-track a comprehensive trade agreement.
Domestic auto component manufacturers will face enhanced cost pressures with Mexico hiking duties on Indian imports, according to industry body ACMA.
