Only last year ECI permitted Delhi University to procure more EVMs, just as in 2006, #EVMs in DUSU Elections were introduced with permission and consent of ECI from ECIL.
Some Facts:
As Election Officer for Swami Shraddhanand College Students Union in the Academic Year 2005-2006, I had approached the Election Commission of India for lending EVM Machines to conduct the College Students Union Elections with EVMs, which would have been for the first time.
The Election Commission of India, since the time for the elections (2nd September, 2005) was very short had vide letter No. 51/8/4/2005-PLN-IV, dated 25th August, 2005 informed the Principal, Swami Shraddhanand College that the "Commission is not in a position to lend Electronic Voting Machines as requested by you." (Copy of the Press Release issued by me then, as the Election Officer is attached.)
However, next year, that is in 2006, Delhi University announced that the upcoming Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections will be historic in more ways than one. Going hi-tech, they will see parties vying for attention using the communication tools of the day like SMS and e-mails, while electronic voting machines (EVM) will perhaps be used for the first time in university elections in the country. (Reported in Newspapers, including The Hindu,August 24, 2006 : Screenshot attached, Link : Electronic voting machines for DUSU elections now https://www.thehindu.com/…/electronic-vo…/article3095105.ece..). (The news was removed by The Hindu from yesterday. However, screen shot and the matter is attached.)
The Election Commission had ordered specially designed machines to suit the needs of the University.
Prof Gurmeet Singh, the then Proctor, Delhi University, currently serving as the Vice Chancellor, Pondicherry University said, ""The University got formal permission for the machines only on August 18. The requirements we have are different. There is one post, which many students will be standing for. The machine will also be used for the college union elections, so we couldn't have used the same machines that were used for the general elections.''
It was said that ECIL, on instructions from ECI had supplied the EVMs to University of Delhi. It is indeed intriguing that why did Election Commission of India, hurriedly issued a letter (Dated 13.9.18, Copy attached), denying anything to do with the EVM in question at Delhi University Students Union Elections.
Further, Delhi University was working out the cost of the machines, is was stated that the rough estimate for each machine is about Rs. 10,000. The University was then trying to work out how to share the costs of the machines. Prof Gurmeet Singh added,"We might give an advance and then transfer a part of the expenditure to the college.'
Accordingly, every College using the EVM supplied by University of Delhi for the Students Union Election pay in Demand Draft, while handing back the EVMs at the Central Control Room. The amount varies as per use of the machines. Therefore, last year, ie in 2017, I, as Election Officer of Swami Shraddhanand College, personally handed over a Demand Draft, while I went along with Delhi Police escort to the Control Room at the Police Lines, Kingsway Camp, Delhi, an amount of Rs 34,000/-, as far as I remember, and obtained a receipt.
Last year, there was again a problem of EVMs. Since only few EVMs are given, leading to long queue of students during polling, we (Swami Shraddhanand College),had asked for more EVMs from the University . Meanwhile, we came to know that the University too was facing problems due to shortage of EVMs and had requested the ECI to either give EVMs on rent or allow the University to procure, as done earlier. Initially, the Commission refused, because they had also refused to some other Universities, but later permission was granted after a meeting of the Commission and University obtained EVMs. The information of the matter is available with concerned offices.
Now coming to the functioning of the EVMs : Every year, technical experts, from the Company come to the University to program the EVMs as per the requirement, that is the candidates and posts. It is important to note that while there are different balloting units for different posts, there is one and the same control unit for storing the information, ie the votes, number for different candidates contesting for different posts. There may be complaints, as reflected in a Petition (Sanjay Vs University of Delhi & ors) disposed by Hon'ble Delhi High Court in 2018, pertaining to different number of votes polled for different posts. (Copy of the relevant portions of the Petition attached.) Even this year it is important to know which College(s) EVMs were faulty?
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