Background:
- Allegation: Trinamool Congress (TMC) has claimed that multiple voters have been assigned the same Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers across different States.
- Election Commission’s (EC) Response: The duplication issue arose due to the manual, decentralized system before ERONET. The EC assured that no voter can cast their vote outside their designated polling station despite EPIC duplication.
- TMC’s Counterargument: The party claims that duplicate EPIC numbers can lead to voter suppression, especially against non-BJP voters, due to mismatched voter photos in electoral rolls.
Relevance : GS 2(Election )
What is an EPIC Card?
- Definition: A 10-digit unique voter ID card number assigned by the EC to prevent impersonation.
- Introduced: 1993, under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 for electoral transparency.
- Generation Process: Assigned via ERONET, a digital platform ensuring regional uniqueness by linking voter data to the State and constituency level.
What is ERONET?
- Full Form: Electoral Roll Management Network.
- Function: A web-based platform for election officials to manage electoral roll processes.
- Purpose:
- Ensures accurate voter registration, migration, and deletion of names.
- Automates electoral roll management and prevents duplication.
Election Commission’s Response to Allegations
- Acknowledgement of Issue: Identical EPIC numbers exist due to the old manual mechanism used before ERONET integration.
- Technical Explanation:
- Earlier, different State/UT CEO offices used the same EPIC series, leading to unintentional duplication across Assembly Constituencies.
- Clarifications:
- Despite duplicate EPIC numbers, demographic details, constituency, and polling booths are different for each voter.
- A voter can only cast a vote in their designated polling station.
- Action Plan:
- EC will assign unique EPIC numbers to all affected voters.
- ERONET 2.0 will be updated to prevent such errors in the future.
