Non Force Measures for Free and Fair Election

1. Cell phones turned into webcam with the help of software can be handed over to Observers, Magistrates and Micro-observers moving from booth to booth on the election day for transmitting live streaming videos of occurrences that need special attention or as a means of general surveillance. The no. of frames captured and transmitted by the webcam is based on the data transmitting speed of internet wherever accessible over cell phones.

At present though the above is technically and theoretically possible, the practical and technical aspects on the field needs to be assessed and for this purpose the service of the software engineers need to be taken and the internet service providers will have to be talked with.

2. SMS based monitoring: In many elections held all over the World in the recent past this tool has been quite effectively used. In the Indian context, the microobservers and /or booth level contact persons may be provided with cashcards for their mobiles they may be given a set of codes which have preassigned meaning and they may be asked to sms to a particular number. This number may be tagged with a computer kept in the district headquarters which will interpret the codes and set a standard reaction pattern wherin the operator in charge of the computer sends parts of the message to Returning officer/Observer/Magistrate on duty as per the predetermined response protocol. For this bulk SMS ing will have to be dealt with. SMS gateways and the Election Commission will have to come to an agreement for operationalisation of the system.

3. Citizen-reporting: Again here the SMS technology may be utilized. SMS to a particular number may be made of subsidized rate wherein the citizens may report any untoward incident in the vicinity of the polling booth from a week before poll date to about three days after the poll day. It is the time manipulations if any are generally organized by political parties, these if dealt with in a firm hand will serve two purpose. Firstly, it will increase the confidence and the participatory spirit of the General Electorate in the democratic process. Secondly, it will weed out unfair interference and manipulations by the Political Parties. The subsidized mobile number where such SMS can be sent will have to be adequately publicized in the local newspapers, cable channels. The SMS received will be monitored from a PC where the complaints will be categorized and action will be taken as per a standard protocol

For this, the SMS gateways , the mobile service providers and the Commission will have to finalise the terms of the workability of the above arrangement.

4. Close Monitoring of Hyper sensitive booths: This can be done based on records of previous elections, like the margin of the winning candidate, percentage of voting, history of post poll/ pre poll law and order violations, prevailing law and order situation, etc. On the basis of vulnerability mapping, the hyper sensitive polling booths can be identified. Hidden cameras can be installed in such booths and monitoring by means of Close Circuit Television may be carried out from some central location like the Sector Office or the SDO office. Teams may be kept ready to rush to those polling stations as and when needed.

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Contact this office for further details.

Citizenship Revisited

There are the following aspects:- A)Flowing from the Constitution of India 1)Citizenship at the commencement of this Constitution. 2)Rights of citizenship of certain persons who have migrated to India from Pakistan.

B)Flowing from enactments of the Parliament, the following modes of acquisition of Citizenship 1)Citizenship by Birth 2)Citizenship by Descent 3)Citizenship by Registration 4)Citizenship by Naturalisation.

Constitutional provisions:-

A)1) Citizenship at the commencement of the Constitution.—At the commencement of this Constitution, every person who has his domicile in the territory of India and—
(a) who was born in the territory of India; or
(b) either of whose parents was born in the territory of India; or
(c) who has been ordinarily resident in the territory of India for not less than five years immediately preceding such commencement, shall be a citizen of India.

A)2) Rights of citizenship of certain persons who have migrated to India from Pakistan— shall be deemed to be a citizen of India at the commencement of this Constitution if—
(a) he or either of his parents or any of his grandparents was born in India as defined in the Government of India Act, 1935 (as originally enacted); and
(b)(i) in the case where such person has so migrated before the nineteenth day of July, 1948 ......

Parliamentary enactments (Citizenship Act1955, and subsequent amendments)
1)Citizenship by Birth 2)Citizenship by Descent 3)Citizenship by Registration 4)Citizenship by Naturalisation.

Few points on manuscript writing

A. This time during writing of manuscripts a must do is the following:

1. Name and linkage relation name to be in bilingual format, else the software will fail to register the electors.

2. In manuscript, indicate the applicants in forms 6, 8, 8a who have given a photo pasted to their application form. This time it is mandatory.

3. For deletion, modification manuscripts indication of either by "form7 / form 8" or "suo moto" is a must.

4. Serial no. of elector must be the NEW sl no. as per the draft electoral roll.

B. The EPIC generation software necessiates that this time during this roll entry phase EPIC will be generated and issued for only the fresh electors / old electors who have no EPIC no. written beside their name in the electoral roll.

Correction modification of old EPIC card will be possible only during the regular EPIC program when it will be so notified by the CEO office.

Therefore, BDOs may sort out the photo bearing Accepted form 6 which have no /blank entry against the head " EPIC no of the elector if already issued" in 2nd page of the form 6.

These form 6 must be sent to the District Election office for scanning against proper documentation only after writing of manuscripts for these parts are over. This is only to speed up the scanning and reduce piled up work load at a later phase.

Roll Observers visit to Bankura

Our Hon'ble Roll Observer, the CEO Sikkim, will be visiting our District between 10th to 14 th August. All to be fully prepared. The analysis of adverse Gender ratio, adverse age cohort proportion for 18-19 yrs electors and 20-29 yrs electors, adverse EPIC coverage polling stations and measures taken thereof as a remedy to be kept ready at fingertips.

The Observer will be definitely visiting the places where hearing for claims disposal will be in progress, also will be sample checking already disposed off claims and objection files. BDOs to keep 10 such files (for each polling station) ready for scrutiny. Polling stations with adverse gender ratio/ EPIC coverage/ Age cohort proportion to be prioritised within this 10 no polling station. Also a full set of best disposed off files irrespective of anything adverse to be kept ready at each Blocks. All to remain in fully prepared mode.

EROs to take special care and keep analysis ready. Heard claims and objection files may be kept ready.