Supreme Court Entrusts Election Commission with VVPAT Time-Stamping Decision

Supreme Court's Ruling on VVPAT Guidelines

The Supreme Court of India has decided to leave it to the Election Commission to determine whether to amend the guidelines for Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips to include the exact time a vote is cast. This decision was made during a hearing on Wednesday.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that the public interest litigation (PIL) requesting the inclusion of time-stamping on VVPAT slips is a technical issue that falls under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission.

The bench acknowledged that the concerns raised by the petitioner relate to the integrity of the electoral process. However, they emphasized that the feasibility of implementing such a measure is a matter for the Election Commission to evaluate. Consequently, the bench dismissed the plea.

Furthermore, the court instructed its registry to forward the petition to the Election Commission for their consideration. The PIL argues that adding time stamps to VVPAT slips would enhance the transparency, verifiability, and auditability of elections.