Association for Democratic Reforms v Election Commission of India
DecidedJudgment 26 April 2024; review dismissed 30 July 2024.
3 recorded steps, 24 Apr 2024 to 30 Jul 2024 — decided, not pending.
Every recorded step
- 2019
8 Apr 2019RelatedDOCUMENTNOT YET CHECKED
Hearing a petition by N. Chandrababu Naidu and 20 other opposition leaders who sought verification of 50% of VVPAT slips, the Supreme Court ordered that VVPAT slips be matched with EVM counts at five randomly selected polling stations per assembly constituency or segment, up from one. The Commission had argued that 50% verification would delay results.
An earlier, separate case (N. Chandrababu Naidu v Union of India) on VVPAT checks
- 2024
24 Apr 2024HearingREPORTED
In the EVM-VVPAT verification case, the bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta put five technical questions to the ECI. Nitesh Kumar Vyas told the court each EVM unit has its own microcontroller, that they are one-time programmable at manufacture, and that the units are stored separately until commissioned. The court reserved its verdict the same day.
- COURT
- Supreme Court of India
- CASE NUMBER
- W.P.(C) No. 434 of 2023
- BENCH
- Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Dipankar Datta
- CITATION
- 2024 INSC 341
- PETITIONERS
- Association for Democratic Reforms
- RESPONDENTS
- Election Commission of India, and another
- FILED OR FIRST RECORDED
- 2023
In brief
Association for Democratic Reforms petitioned the Supreme Court seeking a return to paper ballots or, alternatively, verification of every VVPAT slip against EVM counts. On 26 April 2024 a two-judge bench rejected both demands, holding there was no credible evidence of EVM manipulation and that 5% randomised VVPAT verification with administrative safeguards was adequate, while directing that symbol-loading units be sealed for 45 days after results and allowing the second- and third-placed candidates to request a burnt-memory check of 5% of EVMs per assembly segment. Related petitions making the same demand were rejected days later, and a review petition against the judgment was dismissed on 30 July 2024.
Read more
Association for Democratic Reforms petitioned the Supreme Court seeking a return to paper ballots or, alternatively, verification of every VVPAT slip against EVM counts. On 26 April 2024 a two-judge bench rejected both demands, holding there was no credible evidence of EVM manipulation and that 5% randomised VVPAT verification with administrative safeguards was adequate, while directing that symbol-loading units be sealed for 45 days after results and allowing the second- and third-placed candidates to request a burnt-memory check of 5% of EVMs per assembly segment. Related petitions making the same demand were rejected days later, and a review petition against the judgment was dismissed on 30 July 2024.
SOURCES
Open the full entry →26 Apr 2024JudgmentDOCUMENTNOT YET CHECKED
In ADR v ECI, Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta turned down pleas to return to paper ballots, count all VVPAT slips or give voters the slip. They issued two directions. First, symbol loading units must be sealed and stored for 45 days after results. Second, candidates placed second or third can ask, within seven days of the result and at their own cost, for engineers to check the burnt memory of 5% of EVMs per assembly segment; the cost is refunded if tampering is found.
