Responding to a post by left-wing propagandist Ravi Nair aimed at casting aspersions on EVMs, the Election Commission of India (ECI) schooled him on Sunday (14th April) about the basic functioning of EVM machines. The poll body also highlighted the ‘difference’ between the basic English words ‘command’ and ‘communication’ to point out the mischievous blunder in Nair’s post.
Notably, Ravi Nair, who writes for leftist propaganda outlets, The Wire and Newsclick (currently no posts are available) wrote a series of tweets to “bet” and “dare” that the “so-called constitutional body” will not answer his logical questions.
Sharing a screenshot from FAQs on the functioning of EVM, he wrote, “Hello @ECISVEEP, you insist VVPAT doesn’t communicate with the Control Unit (CU) and is a “slave”. You said VSDU, which used to show the battery charge and the paper availability in the VVPAT, got integrated with the CU.”
He asked, “Doesn’t the VVPAT communicate with the CU?”
Hello @ECISVEEP, you insist VVPAT doesn't communicate with the Control Unit (CU) and is a "slave".
— Ravi Nair (@t_d_h_nair) April 13, 2024
You said VSDU, which used to show the battery charge and the paper availability in the VVPAT, got integrated with the CU.
Doesn't the VVPAT communicate with the CU? pic.twitter.com/dR1jYZLk0T
For those unversed, the opposition parties and its ecosystem have been beating the dead horse that EVMs can be hacked by altering inputs, faulty algorithms, and a host of other conspiracy theories that have been outrightly rejected by the top constitutional court in the country. After the introduction of VVPAT machines, they have been alleging that the votes in the EVM control unit can be manipulated through the VVPAT machine.
Ravi Nair alleged that because the VVPAT machine sends some data to the Control Unit, like battery charge and the paper availability, it means that VVPAT communicates with the CU, with the implication that this can be used to manipulate vote data stored in the control unit.
The EVM consists of three units, the control unit which stores the votes and controls the voting process, the ballot unit which is an input device used to cast the vote, and the VVPAT which prints the vote on a paper after it has been cast, cuts it and drops into a sealed box before showing the printed paper to the voter. Therefore, VVPAT is an output device, a printer that prints the vote.
Meanwhile, in subsequent posts, Nair went on to allege that there is “no Election Commission” in India. He also used phrasing like so-called and “constitutional” (in double quotes) body while referring to ECI and lamented that it is not a constitutional body. Pertinent to note that ECI draws its power from the constitution under Articles 324 and 329 and is thus a constitutional body.
Nair ranted, “Bet me, @ECISVEEP, the so-called constitutional body, won’t dare to answer any logical questions like this. Because those who are sitting in these “constitutional” positions are appointed by the Modi Government.”
Bet me, @ECISVEEP, the so-called constitutional body, won't dare to answer any logical questions like this. Because those who are sitting in these "constitutional" positions are appointed by the Modi Government.
— Ravi Nair (@t_d_h_nair) April 13, 2024
In another post, he wrote, “There is no “Election Commission” in India now. India has Modi’s commissioners for elections.”
There is no "Election Commission" in India now.
— Ravi Nair (@t_d_h_nair) April 13, 2024
India has Modi's commissioners for elections.
Responding to his ulterior motives of casting aspersions on EVM cloaked as “logical questions”, the ECI explained factual inaccuracies in Nair’s post, pointing that these doubts are already cleared in the FAQ published by the ECI. The selected query refers to Q16 in ECI’s FAQ under the section of Technical Features & Safeguards.
The ECI replied, “Only CU {command Unit} can give ‘Commands’ to VVPAT & BU (Ballot Unit) and they will provide ‘Response’ to CU. This is Master-Slave bus architecture. Communication can either be a ’Command’ or ‘Response’. Do not get confused between ‘Command’ & ‘Communication’ & interchange terms.”
Only CU can give 'Commands' to VVPAT & BU and they will provide 'Response' to CU. This is Master-Slave bus architecture.
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) April 14, 2024
Communication can either be a ’Command’ or ‘Response’.
Do not get confused between ‘Command’ & ‘Communication’ & interchange terms 🤨
1/2 https://t.co/Y7O1PgmZla pic.twitter.com/X8BavPz4Im
Urging him to read properly, the poll body added, “Pls reread the FAQ you have quoted and also see Annexure 1 in the same FAQ for your clarity! Only CU can send ‘command’. CU is the Master !!”
Pls reread FAQ you have quoted and also see Annexure 1 in same FAQ for your clarity!
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) April 14, 2024
Only CU can send ‘command’. CU is the Master !!😎
2/2
The ECI also posted a chart from the annexure of the FAQ on EVMs, which shows that VVPAT only receives commands from the Control Unit and sends confirmation of execution of commands, and it can’t send any command to CU because it is connected to the CU via a Master-Slave bus architecture.
The functioning of an M3 EVM can be understood with a simple analogy of Input and output devices communicating through the CPU in computer terminology. Like in the CPU in the computer, the Control Unit in M3 EVMs works as a Control Unit (CU) and communication between BU (Ballot Unit) and VVPAT takes place via CU.
In simple words, the signal flow diagram is as follows –
1. Input to CU (Master Unit) – The ballot button on CU is pressed by the Presiding officer to start a single voting.
2. This signal (from CU) enables the BU machine to allow the voter to cast his/her franchise.
3. Voter has to press the candidate key of his/her franchise on the ballot unit, which is a slave unit. It is like a keyboard on a computer, used only to input data.
4. Now, after the voter presses a button to cast the vote, the BU conveys the voter’s choice of key pressed to CU. ECI clarified that this is just a communication and not a command.
5. After receiving the voting choice, CU sends the command to VVPAT to print the ballot slip for the key pressed by the voter and confirm proper printing. Now, this is a aommand from CU to the VVPAT, to print the symbol of the candidate selected by the voter.
6. VVPAT prints the slip accordingly and sends the confirmation of printing of the ballot slip to the CU. Again, this is a communication that the print command has been executed, and not a command.
7. After that, CU sends the command to VVPAT to cut the printed ballot slip and confirm, which is a command to VVPAT.
8. VVPAT cuts the slip and sends the confirmation that the ballot slip has been cut and dropped, which is a confirmation communication.
9. At last, CU records the vote and confirms with a Buzzer sound, after which the EVM is locked, which needs to be released for the next by pressing the ballot button on the CU.
This entire process shows that the VVPAT works just like a printer, it executes commands received from the CU, and only sends confirmation that the command has been executed successfully. It can’t send any other information to alter any data to the CU, like the left-liberal lobby is claiming.
Nonetheless, while the ECI didn’t respond to politically motivated slurs hurled at the institution, it’s pertinent to note that the appointment of Election Commissioners by a panel (earlier by the government) is a democratic procedure that has been followed since Independence. This process has remained consistent over the years and is not an autocratic measure introduced at will by any administration. It doesn’t strip the stature of ECI as a constitutional body and it doesn’t compromise the integrity of the Election body to hold free and fair elections, as the same has scrutiny of law.
