oppn parties National Voter's Day: Digital EPIC And Remote Voting

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  • Allahabad HC said that the UP Police is acting as law unto themselves as they detained a person unlawfully even before his arrest
  • Kolkata witnesses traffic snarls on the first day of the Durga Puja festival as revellers start pnadal-hopping
  • Neha Bora was subsequently released and Dipke is to appear before a magistrate today at noon
  • Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora of AISA, student leaders and supporters ahead of a rally in Connaught Place demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The protest followed the detention and jailing of two CJP leaders earlier in the week over demonstrations at Jantar Mantar
  • The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
  • India directed oil marketing companies to stop diverting sugar-based feedstocks for ethanol production in the 2026–27 supply year, according to a new tender issued on Friday. The companies have invited bids for 11 billion litres of ethanol made from alternatives including corn and broken rice, amid concerns about domestic sugar supplies and prices
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
  • Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points to close at 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points to settle at 23,146.15. Information technology shares, including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS, helped lift the indices
  • India defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women's T20 International in Raipur, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad combined in an 82-run stand after India's top order collapsed, helping the hosts chase down Zimbabwe's total of 114 for five
  • Indian wrestler Komal won bronze in the women's 59 kg category at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, defeating Kazakhstan's Viktoriia Khusainova 7–2. Fellow Indian Amruta Pujari advanced to the women's 72 kg final after recording two pinfall victories
  • Indian shuttler Jagsher Singh Khangurra secured a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships in Cairo
  • The Supreme Court of India upheld the Bombay High Court's decision quashing the 2020 write-off of ₹8,415 crore in additional tier-1 bonds issued by Yes Bank (Yes Bank). The court ruled that the bank's administrator lacked the authority to extinguish the bonds under the final reconstruction scheme, strengthening bondholders' claims
  • The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Delhi Police and opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, in separate petitions concerning electoral-roll revision and protests held in Delhi on October 10–12. The court also directed the preservation of CCTV footage linked to allegations of police excesses
  • The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
  • The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027
Tragedy in Kolkata: Stampede at the Chor Bagan Pujo results in 18 people losing their lives and scores injured /////// The stampede was caused by a sudden downpour which made people in the heavy crowd run for cover
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National Voter's Day: Digital EPIC And Remote Voting

By Tanmaya Das
First publised on 2021-01-27 06:26:55

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Tanmaya is a budding journalist

The Election Commission of India launched e-EPIC (Electronic Electoral Photo Identity Card) on National Voter's Day to make the voter identity cards digital in addition to the hard copy of ID cards. The voters can access and secure their documents completely.

The first phase launched on January 25 continues till January 31. The new voters, who have applied for the Voter ID cards, are now able to download their e-EPIC using the registered mobile number. In the second phase, starting from February 1, voters all across the nation will be able to apply for e-EPIC.

Ahead of the election, the initiative is going to go to make participation easier. Voters all across the nation can easily access their voter ID cards in the middle of the pandemic. Digital voter ID cards will also help the government finding out information regarding misuse and other national threats. Similarly, delays in receiving the ID cards, fear of losing ID cards, and other issues are addressed.

Additionally, the EC is going to start the mock trials of remote voting soon. Under this, a person can vote from any polling booth in the country instead of travelling to his or her designated booth to cast the vote. EC is collaborating with IIT, Madras and using blockchain technology to make this possible in the near future. This will be a boon to migrant workers and others who are unable to be present at their designated booth on voting day. It will increase voter participation.

However, some of the major concerns like cyber security and privacy need to be strengthened extensively. Also, many technologically-challenged people in the rural areas of India are unaware of the new initiative. Further, users with the non-editable 'secured' PDF version of EPIC might face difficulty to change their information, in case needed. However, the voter may face significant issues if they give up their registered number or lose their mobile phone. Also, some of the remote zones of India will be unable to use technology due to connectivity issues.

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