Latest news with #EVM
Hans India
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
‘Maintain strict vigil at EVM storage facility'
Kurnool District Collector P Ranjith Basha has directed officials to maintain round-the-clock strict surveillance at the EVM (Electronic Voting Machines) storage facility. He issued these instructions during a quarterly inspection of the godown, conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the Election Commission of India. The inspection was carried out on Friday at the EVM godown located within the Collectorate premises, in the presence of representatives from various political parties. The Collector meticulously examined the storage of EVMs and reviewed the existing security arrangements inside the facility. Officials demonstrated the safeguards in place, and the Collector verified compliance with protocols. The transparent inspection aimed to build confidence among stakeholders regarding the secure handling of EVMs. Participating in the inspection were District Revenue Officer Venkata Narayanamma, Election Department Superintendent Murali and political party representatives including Sai Pradeep (BJP), Manjunath (Jana Sena), Arun Kumar (Bahujan Samaj Party district In-charge), P. Raju (Vice President, Telugu Yuvatha - TDP) and Bajaranna (Congress).
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
First-level EVM checks completed in state
Patna: The first-level checking (FLC) of electronic voting machines (EVMs), which began in May ahead of the , has been successfully completed in all districts, according to sources from the . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A total of 189 engineers were involved in the inspection of M3 model EVMs, which were supplied by the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad, for use in the upcoming elections. Reports confirmed that the examination included 1,76,506 ballot units (BU), 1,28,726 control units (CU) and 1,36,317 voter verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs). Of these, 21,634 BUs (12.26%), 6,389 CUs (4.96%) and 6,369 VVPATs (4.67%) were found defective and marked "FLC Rejected." The remaining 1,54,872 BUs, 1,22,337 CUs, and 1,29,948 VVPATs were cleared as "FLC OK". The FLC is a vital pre-election technical process that ensures all EVM components are functional, transparent, and error-free. It is conducted by engineers from the manufacturer under the supervision of district election officers and in the presence of authorised representatives from recognised national and state political parties. Sources said throughout the FLC period, the office of the chief electoral officer (CEO), Bihar, kept the state heads of all 12 recognised parties informed, issuing six communications requesting them to nominate their district representatives. On May 13, CEO Vinod Singh Gunjiyal chaired a meeting with political parties to review participation and attendance, urging them to ensure full engagement in the FLC. Prior to the FLC, district election officers sent formal written notices to party representatives and conducted briefings to explain the process. Over 200 letters were sent to parties that failed to participate, reiterating the importance of attending the checks. The process marks a critical step in building trust in the election system as the state heads towards polls.
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Ethereum-Based Meme Coin Little Pepe Sells Out Stage 3 of Presale
Little Pepe, an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible Layer 2 token, recently completed its Stage 3 presale, raising over $2.33 million at a price of $0.0012. The project has now progressed to Stage 4 of its presale. As momentum builds, the token price is set to increase to $0.0014 in the upcoming Stage 5. Little Pepe aims to differentiate itself within the meme token sector by incorporating on-chain utility alongside community engagement. Built on a Layer 2 network prioritizing transaction speed and affordability, the project emphasizes functional use cases in addition to its meme-oriented branding. Different from traditional meme tokens that live and die on speculation, Little Pepe has created its own Ethereum-compatible Layer 2, providing users faster transactions and comparatively lower fees for a meme-based community that lives on microtransactions, NFT trading, gaming rewards, staking, and many more. The Remarkable Presale Journey The presale journey of Little Pepe has been tremendous and remarkable. In Stage 1, tokens were priced at $0.001, and the project raised $500,000 by selling 500 million tokens in just 72 hours. Stage 2 followed with a price of $0.0011, raising approximately $1.325 million through the sale of 1.167 billion tokens. Stage 3, priced at $0.0012, saw even greater momentum, raising over $2.3 million and selling over 2 billion tokens. Now, in Stage 4, the price has risen to $0.0013, with more than 2.25 billion tokens out of the allocated 3.75 billion already sold. So far, Little Pepe has raised a total of $2,536,433 that sparking strong interest among buyers to purchase before the price increases further to $0.0014 in Stage 5. This presale isn't driven by hype alone—it's fueled by solid tokenomics, a clear long-term vision, and a highly engaged community. Little Pepe has also launched a $777,000 giveaway campaign in conjunction with its ongoing presale. The giveaway is designed in a way that the top 10 participants will each receive $77k worth of LILPEPE tokens. The giveaway is made around a system where users can earn rewards by finishing tasks, referring friends, holding tokens, etc. Why Is It Winning Various elements are driving the presale and the project's success, and some of the prime elements are: Low entry price Transparent Roadmap Layer 2 Efficiency Massive Community Engagement Cultural Relevance About Little Pepe Little Pepe isn't just a fleeting meme; it is a Layer 2-backed ecosystem having a clear path to mass adoption. Having Stage 4 approaching its sellout and a price increase to $0.0014 in the next stage, investors have an opportunity to get in before the token lists on prominent exchanges. As the crypto market matures, meme coins that blend culture with infrastructure will be the ones that thrive. And Little Pepe is proving it's ready to lead that movement, one meme at a time. Contact
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Enabling voting rights for migrants
Bihar, a State with one of the largest out-migration populations in India, is going to the polls later this year. This time, again a significant proportion of the State's population will be unable to exercise their franchise. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, voter turnout in Bihar was 56%, significantly lower than the national average of 66%. Since more than half the households in Bihar are exposed to migration in some form, a likely factor to have significantly influenced low voter turnout was the large migrant population, which was unable to return home to vote. Patterns of migration In 2021, the overall migration rate in India was 28.9%. A significant portion of migration in India is for marriage, especially among women. Around 10%, however, migrate for work. This number is significantly higher in certain northern and eastern States such as Bihar. With an ever-increasing number of migrants travelling from poorer to richer areas in search of employment, the number of those effectively disenfranchised will only increase, unless mechanisms are put in place to facilitate voting by migrants. In an attempt to solve the issue, public discussions have been held. The Election Commission of India (ECI) put forth a concrete proposal in 2024. But no single mechanism for voting for migrants has been implemented. Different kinds of policies and mechanisms are needed to enable voting for different kinds of migrants (intra and inter-State migrants). Intra-State migrants (around 85% of migrants) working in the informal sector could be encouraged to travel relatively shorter distances to vote in their original place of residence. However, they would need a measure of support from the government. Stricter enforcement of the statutory holiday on polling day would ensure that these workers are able to travel to vote without loss of wages. Special bus services could also be scheduled on the eve of and on polling day. Different mechanisms Inter-State migrants working in the informal sector are a large, growing and vulnerable population and need a different set of voting mechanisms. Three possibilities can be explored for this section. The first is an option designed to cater to the large population of migrants in irregular and low-paying jobs, such as in the construction sector. Workers in these jobs may not have permanent residences with address proofs. In 2023, the ECI showcased a pilot project of remote electronic voting machines (RVMs). Each of these was an EVM modified to cater to up to 72 constituencies. Political parties objected to this project. They said there was ambiguity over its functioning. They also cited issues such as problems in identification of migrants and the Code of Conduct being in place in the constituency where the migrant was residing. The project also appeared to be administratively difficult to implement at scale: when a large State with a large out-migration population goes to the polls, migrants from the State who currently reside across the country would be required to notify the ECI months in advance so that the ECI can make the necessary arrangements on polling day. If the ECI finds that in a given city, there are migrants from all 243 constituencies of Bihar, it would need to set up at least four RVMs across the city. The administrative difficulties would only be compounded during the Lok Sabha elections. As complex and challenging as the RVM proposal seems, it was the first major attempt by the ECI to facilitate voting for migrants. With more consultation and fine-tuning, this system could benefit many. Another option is postal ballots. This system is already being implemented by the ECI for members of the armed forces. An extension of this model could help many migrants. Here, too, the ECI would require migrants to register with the body well in advance, so the postal ballots can be issued. Operationally, this appears to be the easier form of remote voting to implement. However, the ECI would have to organise registration, issue ballot papers, and despatch these ballots to counting centres after voting — all major administrative efforts. The last option — switching voting constituencies — is suitable for the longer term for more permanent migrants who can prove their residence in a constituency for at least six months. The argument here is that longer-term migrants of an area would likely be more concerned about the politics and policies of their current place of residence. The ECI should also take extra effort to enrol longer-term migrants of the informal sector in their current place of residence. This will empower them to pressure governments to implement more migrant-friendly policies. While this move may face significant opposition from longer-term residents of the area, it would empower one of the most vulnerable sections of the population. Separately, as a significant number of migrant populations across the country are women who migrate after marriage, voting drives could also be carried out to enrol these women on the voter lists of their new place of residence. A mixed approach Each of these options has its advantages and disadvantages. Enabling voting by migrants is a complex task and is made more complex by the heterogeneity of migrants. Therefore, an approach that uses all these options will enable a significant share of both inter- and intra-State salaried and casual migrants to exercise their right to vote.
India Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Jhooth bole, kauwa kaate: Mahayuti hits back at Rahul Gandhi's poll scam claim
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hit back strongly at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations of voter list manipulation and EVM tampering in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Taking to social media platform X, Fadnavis mocked Gandhi's claims using a Hindi proverb: 'Jhooth bole kauwa kaate, kaale kauwe se dariyo.''Rahul Gandhi, I understand the sting of your humiliating defeat in Maharashtra is intensifying by the day. But how long will you keep shooting arrows blindly?' Fadnavis wrote on X. He also presented data to counter the Congress leader's allegations, highlighting that voter turnout increased significantly in several constituencies where Congress and its allies emerged pointed out that more than 25 constituencies in Maharashtra saw over 8 per cent increase in voter numbers between the Lok Sabha and assembly elections and in many of these, the Congress or its allies emerged victorious. "In West Nagpur, next to my own South West seat, the voter count rose by 7 per cent (27,065), and Congress candidate Vias Thakre won. In North Nagpur, there was a 7 per cent rise (29,348 voters), and the Congress' Nitin Raut secured victory," Fadnavis said."In Vadgaon Sheri (Pune), voter numbers jumped by 10 per cent (50,911), and Bapu Pathare from the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) won. In Malad West, the increase was 11 per cent (38,625), and your own party's Aslam Shaikh was elected. In Mumbra, there was a 9 per cent increase (46,041), and Jitendra Awhad from the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) won," Fadnavis wrote in the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also rejected Gandhi's accusations, stating, 'Rahul Gandhi makes these allegations repetitively. I ask him, as the Leader of the Opposition, why hasn't he gone to the Election Commission or the court?'Shinde said it was unfortunate that the Congress questions the Election Commission only when it loses. 'When they win in Karnataka or Telangana, the EVMs and the Commission are good. But when they lose, the system becomes faulty. This is a conspiracy to defame Maharashtra,' he attributed the win to several welfare schemes run by the state government, including the Ladki Bahin CM Ajit Pawar also weighed in, saying, 'Such questions always come after losses. They got 31 seats in the Lok Sabha, and we got 17. Fatwas issued by some minority groups and false narratives helped them."The Election Commission of India (EC) has invited Rahul Gandhi for an in-person meeting to discuss his allegations that last year's Maharashtra Assembly polls were has repeatedly alleged that the Maharashtra polls, won by the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, were marred by irregularities and rigging. He slammed the EC's decision to reduce the retention period of election-related video footage and photographs to 45 days, claiming that it could facilitate the destruction of presume that any issue regarding conduct of elections would have already been raised through election petitions filed in the competent court of law (high court) by Congress candidates," wrote the Commission in its letter."However, if you still have any issues, you are welcome to write to us and the Commission is also willing to meet you in person at a mutually convenient date and time to discuss all issues," the letter added.- EndsMust Watch
